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TEX TEST CIRCLES 



—OR— 



The Law of Conditions 



-BY 



/ 



JJS.&. 1^. DOW, 



Being' the result of Ten Circles held under 

various conditions for the purpose of 

studying' their effect upon spirit 

manifestations, and the moral 

effect of the same upon 

those composing the 

Circle. 



DULCTH, MINX: 

Globe Prixti.no Company 

1893. 



^AUI 



//> 









trftiy 



% & 



Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1893 

By JAMES L. DOW, 

in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. 



INDEX. 



CHAPTER I. 

Conditions — The NecesshVy for Understanding Them 5 

CHAPTER II. 

Circle No. 1. The Positive Antagonistic Condition 20 

CHAPTER III. 

Circle No. 2. Material or Business Condition 30 

CHAPTER IV. 

Circle No. 3. The Positive Domineering Condition. 45 

CHAPTER V. 

Circle No, 4. The Effect of Changing Positions .... 55 

CHAPTER VI. 

A Test Circle Changed to an Ordinary One 64 

CHAPTER VII. 

Circle No, 5. The Anti-Impressional Phenomena. . . 69 



4 INDEX. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Circle No. 6. The Reason Why Large Circles are 
Undesirable 97 

CHAPTER IX. 

Circle No. 7. The Effect of Doubt in a Circle 110 

CHAPTER X. 

Circle No. 8. The Magnetic Circle and Its Use 129 

CHAPTER XI. 

Circle No. 9. The Children's Circle . 141 

CHAPTER XII. 

Circle No. 10. The Effect of Physical Form 152 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Recapitulation 161 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Benefits to be Derived from Circles 168 



CHAPTER I. 

THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 



The necessity for understanding them t 

and the circumstances leading to 

the holding of these 

Test Circles. 



Having had a good opportunity to 
observe something of the effect of condi- 
tions upon spirit manifestations, as we 
had held circles three evenings in each 
week for about four years; one circle 
each week being private, in which no 
one was permitted to sit, except our 
ow n family. The other two always had 
about six of the same ones, with from 
one to eight additional ones each even- 
ing and having watched very carefully 
the result of the different conditions 



6 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

upon the manifestations, as well as the 
effect upon those who sat in the circles, 
I became convinced, that the law of con- 
ditions was the most important one 
that touched upon the philosophy oi 
spiritualism, and the one least under- 
stood or studied. I have become satis- 
fied that the phenomenal part of spirit- 
ualism, will never be any great success 
until this law is studied, or more fully 
understood and obeyed. And I have 
become as fully convinced, that when 
the law of conditions are understood, 
and their requirements complied with, 
communi ations between spirits in the 
spirit world, and those in the physical 
form, can be carried on as easil_v and 
with as much reliability, and be entitled 
to as much credit, as a correspondence 
carried on between the people of New 
York City, and those of Washington; by 
means of the telegraph. The reliability 
of the message in either case, will depend 
upon a strict compliance with the law 
that governs their respective processes. 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 



The people of New York must have per- 
fect confidence in the construction and 
condition of the telegraph line between 
them and Washington, as well as in its 
operators and machinery, before the}^ 
could have any confidence in the reliabil- 
ity of the message received. The3 T ac- 
quired this confidence hy the faith the\^ 
have in a belief that the managers of 
the line understand the law that governs 
the sending of messages by telegraph 
and that they are personally interested, 
and will comply with it. If they had 
any misgivinjs as regards to knowl- 
edge or ability of those having con- 
struction or operation of the line in 
charge; perfect confidence in the reliabil- 
ity of the message could not be had. If 
this be true of a telegraph between 
New York and Washington, how much 
more particular and technical should we 
be in regard to the construction and 
operation of a line between us and the 
spirit world. The requirements l* to 
nicetv of construction and a strict com- 



8 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

pliance with law, is even greater that! 
is required in the operation of an ordinary 
telegraph line. If we should see a person 
trying to send a telegraphic dispatch 
of great importance, where the technical 
correctness was of the most vital im- 
portance, while he understood the at 
phabetbut poorly. Instruments all out 
of repair, or not properly adjusted, or 
when an electric storm was raging along 
the line. You would laugh at his folly, 
and would not be likely to entrust im- 
portant messages in his hands for trans- 
mission. And in this you would be 
acting wisely, and as all should act in 
such cases. If people receiving mess ages 
from the spirit world would use as 
much care, when even more is required, 
there would be less skepticism and 
doubt, about our ability to construct a 
line of communication, between ours 
and the spirit world. It is the greatest 
wonder to me, that anything has been 
received from the world of spirits, suffi- 
ciently reliable, to convince any one of 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 9 

their ability to communicate with those 
upon the other shore; with the total 
lack of knowledge which seems to exist 
even among the chief operators and con- 
structionists, in regard to its laws, re- 
quirements or conditions. They have 
hot seemed to think a study of the laws 
or requirements a necessity. They sit 
clown and expect the spirits to throw 
messages in their lap. They form circles 
for spirit communion without a thought 
of the all importcint questions: Is our 
line up? Are our wires connected and 
properly insulated? Our batteries of 
proper strength? And our operators 
competent and reliable. They form a 
circle as I have said, with such condi- 
tions that the whole law of the universe 
would have to be repealed and new 
ones enacted, in order to give them the 
manifestations they are asking for. yet 
they wonder why they fail. They are 
usually surprised, if not disheartened or 
disgusted, either at the total absence oi 
all manifestations, or at the kind oi 



10 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS, 



quality of the messages received. Some- 
times the line refuses entirely to work. 
At others it is so effected by the electric 
storms of inharmony and discord, which 
is raging along the line, that nothing 
reli; ble, or even conveying good sense is 
received. They usually attribute their 
failure, to the spirits not being in a 
mood to communicate, or their absence 
from the circle. All such conclusions are 
equally foolish. Never do they think of 
looking over their line to see that it is in 
good repair, wires properly insulated to 
keep out counter currents, or that their 
entire machinery and operators upon 
both ends of the line were in trim for the 
work. If they would look the entire 
plant over carefully after each failure, 
for the cause, their failures would 
prove more valuable to them than their 
partial successes. I say partial successes 
for their success can never be but partial, 
until the law is understood and complied 
with. 
People seem to use more sense upon 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 11 

any other subject than upon spiritual 
things, when reason is the substratum 
of the spirit world. Our reason judg- 
ment and good sense, should be thor- 
oughly exercised in connection with our 
decision upon the genuineness and reli- 
ability of all purported spirit messages. 
If 3 t ou do not understand the law of 
conditions form your circles with a 
view to stud\ T them. If you neither un- 
derstand or care to stud\ T them for the 
purpose of learning their provisions;then 
dispense with your circles, ior you are 
onh^ fooling a way y^our time. You had 
better be working at something y ou un- 
derstand or something you are anxious 
to learn. Do not jump upon the spirit- 
ualistic engine and throw the throttle 
wide open, in y^our anxiety to make 
great speed along the line of moral and 
spiritual development, unless you under- 
stand the mechanism ol the machine you 
are trying to run; unless you want to be 
picked up in pieces along the line. This 
is an engine of power and strength for 



12 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

good, in the hands of skilled engineers, 
but in the hands of ignorant and unpro- 
gressive people it means destruction to 
all such who try to run it. We can and 
must become engineers upjn this line 
before we can run far into spiritual 
things, and the sooner we commence tc 
take lessons in running this locomotive 
the sooner we will make progress along 
this line of intellectual, moral and spirit- 
ual development. We must not leave 
it all for spirits to do. They will throw 
out the line, but we must take hold of it 
before any communication can be had 
or connection gained with the spirit 
world. Our part of the work does not 
stop here, we must not only catch hold 
of this line of communication, but we 
must attach it to good instruments, and 
procure proper operators and then keep 
all upon this end of the line in good re 
pair and properly adjusted. Then the 
result of our labor will richly pay us foi 
all our trouble; and the world will be 
made wiser and better for our industry 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 13 

Having come to a full realization of the 
i.uportance of understanding the laws 
which govern spirit phenomena, and the 
effect which different conditions have 
upon the manifestations; knowing that 
notwithstanding the vast importance 
of the knowledge of this law it was stud- 
ied less than any other known law. 

Circles have been and are now being 

.Id all over this country for the pur- 

osc of obtaining spirit manifestations, 

by persons knowing nothing of this law 

and seem to be learning nothing from 

their experiments. 

At one circle they are highly elated 
over the results of their sitting; at the 
next they are mortified, if not thorough- 
ly disgusted, either from the absence of 
all manifestations, or from the quality 
of what was received. 

At one circle truth seems to predomi- 
nate throughout the entire line of the 
phenomena. At the next no dependence 
whatever can be placed upon anything 
that is said or done. 



14 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

At one meeting the controlling in- 
fluence appears to be endowed with wis- 
dom and knowledge of a high order. 
At the next, the most foolish and un- 
reasonable views are advocated, while 
ignorance and bigotry seem to have full 
sway. At some of these gatherings, the 
very highest moral precepts are recom- 
mended to the circle for practice, while 
at the very next the most lewd im- 
moral and pernicious influence seem to 
predominate. 

All these varied results are but the 
natural results obtained from the va- 
rious conditions prevailing at the time. 
In all of this, there is a highly instruc- 
tive lesson being taught, namely, the 
Law of Conditions, and its effect upon 
manifestations. But it is passed un- 
heeded by a large majority of phenome- 
na seekers. 

To study this law and the effect of 
various conditions upon the manifesta- 
tions produced in circles, in view of its 
great importance was the object of the 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 15 



circles, the result of which is hereafter 
recorded. 

Before proceeding with the result of the 
circles, I will here state, that these cir- 
cles were commenced for the study of 
the effect of conditions, hj and through 
the direct request of controls hav- 
ing charge of our regular circles, and 
by special agreement with those in con- 
trol, we were to be assisted by them in 
producing the conditions we desired, 
and if for any reason, the conditions 
which we sought to produce, could not 
be perfectly and technically obtained, 
then our spirit guides, those having in 
charge the conducting of these circles, 
should give us a description of the nat- 
ural results of a condition, such as was 
being investigated, would have upon a 
circle and the manifestations there pro- 
dticed and revise eve^thingwhich should 
be written upon the subject, that every- 
thing which might be written concern- 
ing the effect of conditions might be 
implicitly relied upon, as being the 



16 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

natural and inevitable effect of the 
various conditions. We believe the rec- 
ords herein made to be very correct 
and can be relied upon, to either read 
the conditions in the circle, by the mani- 
festations or the kind and nature of the 
manifestations, to be expected from such 
conditions in the circle. 

In recording the result of each circle 
we first give the facts as they occurred 
in the circle, after which we give the 
meaning of the manifestations, as the 
result of conditions, as they have been 
given to us by the spirits in charge ol 
this work. We then give a brief state- 
ment of the lessons taught in each case. 

Before proceeding I will make a little 
explanation in regard to the circle, and 
the individual members composing it. 

To commence with, the ckcle was com- 
posed of four members, (and if others 
should be admitted during the course, a 
full account of it will be given in the des- 
cription of the circle), two females and 
two males. One of each being negative 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 17 

by nature, as they are usually termed 
the other two positive. For the sake 
of brevity, I shall throughout these de- 
scriptions designate each member of the 
circle b}^ a letter as follows: F. M. Z. 
and myself. F. was male negative and 
the medium of the circle, and was never 
informed or knew anything in regard to 
the conditions we were trying to secure, 
only as he felt them as a medium, until 
after the circle, so that of himself he 
could not be influenced for, or against 
the conditions being produced. M. was a 
female negative, mediumistic by nature, 
and somewhat developed. Z. was a 
female positive, and might be called im- 
pressional. I am a male and positive; 
though I do not like the term positive, 
and negative as commonly used, and I 
may take occasion to refer to it before I 
get through. 

The same above named four sat in 
circles together from two to three times 
each week, for nearly four years past 
before commencing these circles, for the 



18 THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 

study of conditions. We understood 
very well, the result of our normal con- 
dition. The manifestations produced in 
our regular circles were usualh- table 
tipping (while our hands were upon it). 
F. always talked more or less under con- 
trol, personated some, and occasion airy 
saw clairvoyantly . He was always given 
considerable exercise plrysically, his 
whole system being shaken verj' severely 
while under control. He was compelled 
to do what he did do, and say what he 
did sa}r, but alwa} T s retained his con- 
sciousness. All others felt the presence of 
spirit influence distinctly, and M. very 
often saw clairvoyantly, and was im- 
pressed in regard to any communication 
the spirits might wish to give us. We 
never failed in our normal condition, to 
get manifestations of spirit presence and 
power within five minutes alter the 
circle was formed, and the music started 
and very olten they would manifest 
through F., before we got the circle in 
form. I mention these things in order 



THE LAW OF CONDITIONS. 19 

that yon may be better able to draw 
conclusions in regard to the effect pro- 
duced upon the circle, and the manifes- 
tations, by the change in conditions 

It should be remembered, that all per- 
sons sitting in these circles, were ex- 
pected to remain in a negative condition 
and try to make the best conditions 
they could, unless they had been other- 
wise instructed, then due notice of it 
was taken at the beginning of the rec- 
ords of each circle. 



CHAPTER II. 

CIRCLE NUMBER ONE. 



Or the effect of a positive commanding 
or demanding condition. 



The first circle of this series of circles 
"was held on the evening of January 8th, 
1893. After coming together, we talked 
the matter over in the presence of all the 
circle, in regard to how we should con- 
duct this, our first circle for the study of 
the effect of conditions. It was thought 
proper by all, that the first circle should 
have the best conditions that we could 
produce to this end, we each agreed to 
be as negative as possible, and from 
these conditions we naturally expected 
the very best manifestations which our 
circle could produce. With these mani- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 21 

festations we cotild compare those pro- 
duced in subsequent circles, with less 
favorable conditions. 

At 7:30 o'clock, we were formed in 
circle around a small table or stand, the 
one usually used by us in our circles. F. 
sat an the west, M. on the north, Z. on 
the south and I on the east side of the 
table. 

A music box which was always used 
by us in our circles commenced to play. 
All were supposed to be in a , harmon- 
ious negative condition. The music 
had not played to exceed a half minute 
when I was impressed to assume a posi- 
tive commanding attitude towards the 
controls of the circle, and endeavor by 
the power of my will to stop all mani- 
festations. This move had never en- 
tered my mind until this moment. I 
had up to this time full}' intended to be 
negative and help the conditions for 
manifestations, as talked before the 
circle commenced. But I then and there 
asserted the power of my will. I drew 



22 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



an imaginary line around, and a little 
outside of our circle. I then demanded 
and commanded that all spirits keep 
outside of that line. All this of course 
was done mentally, not a word being 
spoken. I continued to say to the 
spirits present, mentally, the power of 
my will must and shall be superior in 
this circle. Not one must dare to cross 
this line T have drawn around this circle. 
Neither must you exert any power or 
influence, over any one in this circle who 
is sitting with me. I continued mental- 
ly this stand and these sitters belong to 
the material realm; I belong to the 
same condition; I have a right to dic- 
tate to you concerning them; 1 ask only 
my rights; Stand back every one of you 
and dare not to lay a finger upon a 
thing I have enclosed within my circle. 
I continued in this positive, commanding 
attitude. The music box ran down and 
stopped playing, and thirty minutes had 
passed away, and there had been no 
sign of spirit presence, or spirit power 



TEN TEST CIRCLES* 23 

manifested in the circle. 

At the end of the thirty minutes, I 
said mentally, now, all our spirit friends 
can come in and take control of the 
circle. I commenced to sing "Nearer my 
God to thee" and placed nryself in a neg- 
ative receptive condition, when almost 
immediately F. was shaken up lively 
and the table began to tip. F. was con- 
trolled and talked, while the table con- 
tinued to rap out answers to all ques- 
tions asked. 

This state of things continued for 
about twenty minutes, when I again 
asserted the power of my will mentally 
and entirely unknown to the balance of 
the sitters, I commanded them again 
to get outside of the line 1 had drawn, 
and once more all the manifestations 
were as effectually stopped as though 
the circle had been entirely wiped out. 
The others in the circle continued to ask 
questions but could get no response. 
This state of things continued for a few 
minutes when F. remarked that he 



24 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



guessed all the forces were working on 
me, as he could not feel them any more, 
that they had all left him. This he said 
aloud, so all in the circle could hear him, 
and he proposed that they sing to help 
them in their work upon me. I did not 
say a word. When they commenced to 
sing I did not join them. They then 
were fully convinced that all the spirit 
forces were concentrated upon me. I 
did not sing for the reason that I had to 
retain my positive commanding condi- 
tion, in order to hold in check the invisi- 
ble powers that were present, and I was 
afraid I would assume a negative posi- 
tion if I undertook to sing, for instru- 
mental music or singing are powerful 
agents for producing negative condi- 
tions in a circle or audience of any kind. 
Hence its importance in all circles. 

They sang three pieces, but no mani- 
festations occurred during the time. 
When they stopped singing, all re- 
mained perfectly quiet and there was no 
apparent spirit influence within the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 25 

circle. This second period of the total 
absence of all spiritual manifestations 
lasted about twenty minutes, when I 
said aloud, "will our spirit friends now 
sa\- good night? 1 ' The table at once 
tipped three times, which was the way 
they always said yes. I then said '\say 
good night." The table then tipped five 
times, their accustomed way of saying 
good night. This ended the first circle 
of this series. 

When 1 say the other three in the circle 
were surprised when I informed them of 
what I had been doing in the circle. I 
use as mild a word as I can and tell the 
truth. 

When we take into consideration the 
fact that not one in the circle except my- 
self knew what I was doing, but on the 
contrary had good reasons to suppose 
that I was trying to produce the best 
possible conditions for manifestations. 
It makes this experiment a great test of 
spirit presence and spirit power. I am 
aware that many will say this was a 



26 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

case of mesmerism or hypnotism, and 
in the exerting of my will power, I 
thereby holding in check all manifesta- 
tions, as well as keeping all in the circle 
quiet. This might appear to be a 
reasonable solution of the case, but 
when we take into consideration the 
fact that I did not try to exert n^ 
powers over any one in the circle ; my 
whole effort being to hold back an in- 
visible power, which was trying to as- 
sert itself. 

I did not concentrate my mind upon 
those composing the circle. There is 
another fact in this connection which 
effectually disproves this theoiw of 
hypnotism, and that is — I did not inform 
any of those who formed the circle of 
my desire in the case, but the}^ were led 
by me to believe that an entirely dif- 
ferent condition was expected by me, 
a course which is never persued where 
the hypnotic influence is wanted or ob- 
tained. In case of hypnotism the first 
thing the operator does is to inform the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 27 

subject of what he is expected to do and 
how he is to act. This seems to be the 
first law of that condition called hypno- 
tism, and as far as I know, no one has 
ever exerted this power over a subject 
without first informing him of his inten- 
tions or desires in regard to it. 

Then what about those manifesta- 
tions which occurecl as soon as I 
changed from a positive to a negative 
condition. In this condition I exerted 
no power of will and could not have 
possibly thrown out any hypnotic in- 
fluence, A^et F. was at once influenced; 
his plwsical organism was violently 
shaken. He talked under influence and 
the table tipped rapidly, and answering 
all questions asked, while all in the circle 
felt a strong influence from some invisi- 
ble presence. This seems to me to make 
it a very positive proof of the presence, 
in our circle of some invisible intel- 
ligence, outside of that which the setters 
possessed; as the whole process and re- 
sult seems to be beyond, and entirely 



28 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

outside of any known law of hypnotism. 
This experiment I consider valuable, not 
only for its positive proof ofthe presence 
of an invisible intelligence, but it shows 
us the powerful effect which conditions 
have upon spirit manifestations. It has 
demonstrated that one positive antigo- 
nistic person in a circle may set at 
naught the efforts of a whole circle to 
produce the ordinary forms of spirit 
manifestations. This teaches us how 
very important it is for those who wish 
to communicate with the spirit world, 
to see that no antagonistic clement ex- 
ists in the circle. As well might you try 
to heat a cake of ice, as to produce 
spirit phenomena in a circle where there 
is a positive antagonistic element. In 
either case the condition will have to be 
changed, before the result desired can be 
produced. 

If we would receive spirit messages, 
we must study the law of their trans- 
missions; and when we thoroughly un- 
derstand this law, and obey its various 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 29 



provisions, communication between the 
two worlds will be as easy and as 
natural as for water to run down hill 
when ^11 obstructions have been re- 
moved. 



CHAPTER III. 

CIRCLE NUMBER TWO, 



Or the Result ot a Material, or a Worldly 
Business Condition. 



Circle number two was held at the 
ssme house as numder one, on January 
15th. The same persons formed the 
circle, and they sat in the same positions 
around the table. I had instructed Z. 
that I wanted her in consert with me, to 
assume the most positive attitude that 
she could command and to demand 
business communications. We were 
both to think ot nothing but business 
and to ask mentally for instructions as 
how to make money; how to get rich; 
where we could find a gold mine, and 
this class of questions. Not allowing 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 31 



our minds to dwell upon anything men- 
tal or spiritual. We were to think oi 
only material things. The other two 
knew nothing of what we were doing, 
or the conditions we were trying to ob- 
tain. They were trying to produce the 
best conditions they could. And the ef- 
fect of our minds being placed upon 
material subjects, and not allowing 
spiritual or intellectual subjects to be 
considered or desired, seemed at first to 
be to drive away all manifestations. 

The influences which were present, not 
appearing to be able to do anything 
under these conditions. 

Our demands for business and material 
things did not seem to be in harmom^ 
with the spirits who were in attendance 
upon the circle at the opening. Hence, 
the absence of all manifestations. But 
the material condition which we had 
succeeded in establishing in the circle, 
appeared to repel those influences which 
always attended our circles when the 
conditions were normal and new, or 



32 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

strange influences were at once attracted 
that were more in harmony with the 
conditions. 

The first spirit that manifested under 
these conditions, was one who had just 
passed over in a burning hotel, and 
whose body had not 3^et been recovered. 
His mind seemed to be wholly absorbed 
in the recovery of his material body, and 
in some papers which M. saw clair- 
voyantly, together with other things 
which she could not see plain enough to 
identify. These papers pertained to 
some business matters which seemed to 
absorb all other things in his mind, ex- 
cept the one in regard to his physical 
body. He answered a few questions in 
regard to the number who passed over 
in the fire and a few other kindred sub- 
jects, and was gone. 

The next one that came said that he 
never was at our circle bet ore; said he 
was not happy, and that his condition 
was dark and unprogressive. He seemed 
to prefer earth life to his present condi- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 33 



tion. He was attracted to our circle by 
the conditions surrounding it. These 
were the only spirits that came under 
the conditions produced by our positive 
demand for business and unspiritual 
communications. F. felt that the in- 
fluences were very weak and all in the 
circle were impressed with the feebleness 
of the demonstrations. By a previous 
agreement it was understood between 
Z. and myself, that when I should start 
to sing a certain tune we were both 
to become negative and passive so that 
the conditions might be good for mani- 
festations, F. and M. knowing nothing 
of the proposed change of conditions or 
that any change was to be made. When 
we commenced to sing and the negative 
conditions prevailed, as we supposed, 
all manifestations were still absent, and 
no spirit influence was felt in the circle 
for some little time. The positive mater- 
ial and unspiritual condition with 
which we had impregnated the circle in 
the fore part of the evening seemed to 



34 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



remain in the atmosphere of the room 
after we had ehanged to a more congen- 
ial condition, and it seemed to require 
some time to entirely eradicate its effect. 
In fact it seemed to show its effect 
throughout the balance of the evening. 
After the effect of our material condition 
had partly subsided w r e commenced to 
have manifestations of the usual kind, 
but it was still evident that some ad- 
verse influence was restricting the same, 
which could not be accounted for except 
in the theory wmich has been before 
stated, and it was clearly noticable that 
the longer we sat the stronger and bet- 
ter the influences became. 

As we neared the close those spirits 
who were regular attendants at our 
circles came, and questions were asked 
and answered, and things began to as- 
sume their normal condition, F. was 
controled by various intelligencies, who 
talked and answered questions through 
him . 

One very intelligent control, who had 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 35 

been practising several months to leain 
to talk through him, came, and it was 
with the greatest difficulty that he was 
able to say anything, (although he had 
been able to talk quite easily on all pre- 
vious occasions his words were ex- 
pressed^ sylableat a time while F. was 
so terribly exercised in the effort, so 
much so that he was nearly exhausted 
when the control left him after a few 
minutes effort. 

After this one had got through, an- 
other came who had never attended a 
circle before, and one who had never 
tried to talk through a medium, or pro- 
duce other phenomena of any kind, yet 
under his influence the table moved 
easily and gracefully, while he could talk 
through F. with comparative ease, and 
F. was not agitated or exhausted by the 
effort as was the ease under the other 
and older control. 

The conclusions to be drawn from this 
experiment, and the lessons taught, arc 
about a? follows : 



36 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

First the unaccustomed positive and 
unspiritual condition in the circle which 
had been produced by two of the setters, 
had the effect to drive out all those 
spirits that always attended our circle, 
when the conditions were normal, and 
in their place those came who were very 
close to the material on earth conditions. 

The first spirit which came was one 
who had just passed out of his physical 
body in a burning hotel, he had not yet 
realized he could get along without his 
physical body, he was yet waiting 
around the ruins where his body was 
for its recovery. He seemed to think his 
whole existence depended upon the re- 
covery of his bod} r , and the saving of 
some papers pertaining to business mat- 
ters. 

Now what finer illustration of the 
power of condition and the law that 
like attracts like. Here were two posi- 
tive persons in the circle who were de- 
termined to produce a material condi- 
tion, or in other words to use the circle 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 37 

for material and selfish purposes or for 
"worldly gains. No thought was given 
by them to spiritual or intellectual 
things. They being positive and deter- 
mined, made the conditions for the circle. 

Now let us see what this condition has 
attracted. The very iirst spirit to be 
attracted b} 7 - this condition is one so 
near the earth plane that he has never 
learned that it is possible for him to ex- 
ist without the material body, he is 
waiting for an opportunity to again 
enter the lost physical form, and the 
only great work laid out for himself was 
to regain this material body, and secure 
some papers pertaining to business. 
His whole life and aspirations were cen- 
tered in material things. Could any- 
thing be more like the conditions exist- 
ing in our circle ? 

The next and the last one that came 
under this condition was a spirit who 
had been long in spirit life. We find that 
he came from that low dark condition 
which borders on materiality, where the 



38 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



highest aspirations are only for mater- 
ial things. Now what finer illustration 
of the effect of conditions upon manifes- 
tations and the law of like attracts like 
could possibly have been given. Here 
the two principle mediums in the circle 
were trying to produce the best and 
highest conditions . That the manifesta- 
tions might be spiritual food and a 
shining light to guide us upon those 
higher intellectual and moral walks of 
life which lead to a purer and more 
spiritual condition. 

But their efforts were of no avail. All 
their power for good was set at naught 
when surrounded by that positive 
material condition. Their high aspir- 
ations as well as the natural results of 
the conditions they were trying to make 
were all set aside by this worldly mater- 
ial condition. 

We find by this change of condition, 
which we have brought around, we have 
changed the entire force of communicat- 
ing spirits as well as the nature of the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 39 

communications and the reliability oi 
their teachings. 

Thus, we see that the mental and 
moral standing of the communicating 
spirit, the nature of the communication, 
as well as the amount of the reliability 
which may safeW be placed upon them, 
may all be foretold hy the mental and 
moral standing of the circle, together 
with the harmonious condition of the 
same. 

It must be remembered that although 
the moral character of the circle may be 
good, yet the low and vulgar influences 
may be attracted to it, as the direct re- 
sult of discord and in harmony prevail- 
ing in the circle at the time. We also 
find that when we had undertaken to 
make the radical change from a positive 
material to a negative receptive condi- 
tion, the manifestations came slow and 
somewhat unsatisfactory for some little 
time. Caused, we are informed, by our 
inability to make so sudden and com- 
plete a change, together with the effect 



40 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

which our positive condition had left 
upon the balance of the circle. Our 
minds had been wrought up to a high 
degree on the positive material plane, 
and could not* suddenly be brought to 
that other extreme, the negative and 
spiritual condition. But as our minds 
gradually settled back into the latter 
condition the manifestations assumed 
their accustomed lines and powers, 
the spirits who manifested were those 
who usually did so when we had our 
best conditions. 

These spirits which came and under- 
took to talk through F. were given us 
to illustrate the effect of conditions upon 
spirits of different degrees of develop- 
ment. Although this illustration was 
mven under the better conditions in the 
circle, it was intended to show, as the 
spirits themselves said, a result as it 
would have occured if the effort had 
been made by these spirits under the 
material condition existing during the 
first half of the circle. The one that 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 41 

was the most in harmony with condi- 
tions prevailing in the circle at the time 
could talk the easiest and with the least 
strain upon the medium. It matters 
not whether the controlling spirit is 
higher or lower than the conditions 
under which the medium is working. 
The strain is the same on the medium 
as well as the controlling influence 
caused by the inharmony existing bet- 
ween the two conditions. 

If the medium, while retaining con- 
sciousness, is controlled easily, and the 
control can talk through him smoothly 
there must exist between the medium 
and the controlling intelligence perfect 
harmony. The conditions under which 
the medium is working and that of the 
control must be upon the same intellect- 
ual and moral plan, but if the power 
which is trying to control be of a lower 
order, being attracted by a downward 
tendency in the moral or intellectual 
conditions of the medium or the prevail- 
in £ influences in the circle, or if on ac- 



42 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



count of the medium's aspirations for a 
higher intellectual and moral position 
he attracts (as he is sure to do) those 
spirits who are on a little higher plan 
than himself or the prevailing moral 
condition of the circle (for the medium 
always has to suffer for a condition in 
the circle below his moral or intellectual 
plan and will be severely worked when 
he is trying to harmonize his or that of 
the circle with a higher condition). 

In either of these cases the medium 
will be worked very hard and will 
generally be nearly exhausted after each 
short period of control, while the con- 
trolling spirit seems to communicate 
under the greatest difficulties. This 
proves that if a medium and his circle 
are both progressing, they are con- 
stantly attracting influences higher than 
the medium, and the consequence will be 
that his mediumship will not be so 
smooth or easy as a more unprogres- 
sive position would place him, for he then 
would attract those in perfect harmony 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 43 

with himself. And where a medium's 
mediumship (after he has had a reason- 
able amount of development) comes 
hard, the controls seeming unable to 
accomplish what the\^ appear to very 
much desire, while the medium is very 
much agitated and prostrated by the 
effort. 

It becomes evident that the control- 
ling spirit is either from a higher or a 
lower plane from that of a medium. 
This condition of things should alwa} r s 
be encouraging to those mediums, who 
are honestly seeking a higher moral con- 
dition, as it will prove to them that 
they have attracted and enlisted the 
help of those from the higher condi- 
tions. Rut how different is it with 
those who feel this discord and resultant 
strain in their mediumship, but whose 
desires are not so much for the higher 
spiritual condition, as for the carnal, 
earthly material gratifications. These 
ma}' be sure that the lower powers are 
reaching out for them, and they should 



44 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

at once reform or throw up their me- 
diumship or at least its further develop- 
ment. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CIRCLE NUMBER THREE. 



The effect of the positive condition when 

directed towards the forcing of 

spirit manifestations. 



On the evening of January 22, at 7:30 
o'clock, p. m., four of us were again 
around the little table and prepared to 
hold circle number three. All were 
seated as in the previous circle. 

Before commencing I had instructed 
all in the circle to get in as negative a 
condition as possible and make the best 
conditions they could for manifestations 
of an unknown kind. I did not instruct 
anv of the circle what my intentions 



46 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

were concerning it, neither did they 
know anything about the kind of condi- 
tions I was intending to make. There- 
fore, if they entertained any thought 
upon the subject of the kind of condi- 
tions I was trying to make, each one's 
idea would have been entirely different, 
hence, they could not have worked in 
harmony to produce the manifestations 
which followed; neither could their 
minds have effected them, as they would 
unlikely be thinking of the same thing. 

As soon as the circle was formed and 
the music commenced, I at once assumed 
a positively commanding condition as 
in circle number one, except that in this 
circle I demanded their presence instead 
of their absence as in circle number one 

I commanded and demanded that the 
spirits at once make their presence mani- 
fest. I concentrated all the powers of 
my will to the one purpose, ' and that 
w^as to compel obedience on the part of 
the spirits to my demands. In this 
circle I was endeavoring to force them 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 47 



to manifest their presence by some of the 
usual forms of manifestations as I had 
compelled them to stand back and keep 
quiet, in circle number one. 

It would seem that if they could be 
forced out of a circle by the power of my 
will, they might be forced into the circle 
and compelled to make their presence 
felt or known by the same power, but 
in our experiments in this circle we found 
that this was not the case. 

Repulsion and attraction are opposite 
forces. Repulsion can never attract, 
neither can attraction repulse. In the 
first circle I repulsed the spirits by my 
positive commanding attitude toward 
them, therefore I could never attract 
them to me or the circle by the same 
condition that we had proven to have a 
repulsive effect upon the spirits. Al- 
though I exerted every power of my will 
to compel their attendance. Not a sign 
of their presence was manifest. The 
music continued. The sitters, except 
myself, remained negative and harm on- 



48 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

ions. A condition which would have, 
bnt for my presence, produced mani- 
festations any time, in from three to five 
minutes, bnt with my positive domineer- 
ing attitude in the circle, twenty min- 
utes passed without the least sign oi 
spirit presence. All this time I was men- 
tally demanding that they make the 
others feel their presence, tip the table, 
control F. and do anything they were 
in the habit of doing at our circles. Not 
one of the things which I commanded 
did they do. They seemed to have been 
as effectually repulsed as they were in 
circle number one, when I was tr\nng to 
repulse them. After the twenty minutes 
had passed without manifestations of 
an 3^ kind, the table began to tip and 
upon inquiry we found that the spirit 
who was trying to manifest w^as a 
stranger, never having visited our home 
or circle before. In earth life he said he 
was a relic hunter from Western Austra- 
lia. He seemedto be in a very dark and 
unhappy state of mind. 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 49 

After I had changed my positive for a 
more negative condition the influences 
informed us that the relic hunter who 
had just been here had in his hunt for 
relics a large number of human beings 
under him, over whom he had wielded 
the iron rod. In his search for knowl- 
edge, (knowledge being the object of his 
research,) the rights and liberties oi 
others were as naught to him. He 
trampled everything that was sacred or 
dear to them, under his feet. He rode 
over their tenderest feelings and most 
sacred desires as he would ride over the 
grass without giving them either care 
or thought. His only thought was for 
knowledge; not for the good of mankind 
or future generations, but to satisfy a 
morbid curiosity. The light which he 
received was never allowed to shine. 
The knowledge which he acquired went 
with him to the grave; it not having 
been diffused by him to enlighten the 
world, it now forged the chains which 
Donnd him to the powers of darkness, 



50 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

and the only way these chains could be 
loosened was in his giving this light and 
knowledge to the people of the earth. 
This knowledge which he had obtained 
through the hardships and degredation 
of others was held by him in direct 
violation of the law which demands of 
us to let the light which we have shine for 
all the world and its future generations; 
and he could be lifted out of his present 
dark condition only by a compliance 
with that law. 

Having passed to spirit life, it was no 
easy task to find a means to convey this 
knowledge to mortals. He must find 
a sensitive who is in perfect harmony 
with his condition in order to be able to 
use him to convey this knowledge to 
the world. 

The difficulties to be met and over- 
come may be partially understood, 
when we remember that his condition 
was a highly educated and cultured one 
as well as a low, dark and unhappy one; 
the latter being occasioned by the neg- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 51 

lect ; misuse and abuse of the former. 

To find a medium sufficiently in har- 
mony with these conditions to be able 
to use them for the transmission of this 
knowledge was no easy task. He had 
traveled far and near in search of one, 
but as yet no one had been found. 
While he was controlling F. he cried out 
"Oh knowledge! knowledge! I grasped 
after you with eager, selfish hands, It 
would have been better if I had never 
known you." After this he personated, 
holding something in one hand and 
striking it with the other, then throw- 
ing it down and taking up another. He 
continued this for some time after which 
we learned that this operation repre- 
sented the knocking of the mortar from 
the bricks and stones in his destruction 
for relics and knowledge. We had quite 
a variety of spirits come after this while 
we kept up good conditions, which we 
did until the end of the circle. 

We learn from the experiences in this 
circle: First, that as we had not the 



52 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

customary conditions during the firsl 
half of the circle, we attracted none oi 
the spirits we usually did in our circles. 
I had assumed a domineering attitude 
towards them, and had raised a posi- 
tive antagonism in the circle which 
seemed to repel all those influences 
which were attracted under our ordi- 
nary conditions. The only spirit at- 
tracted during this positive, overbearing 
and undesirable condition was one 
whose earth life we were personating 
and illustrating by the position and 
conditions I had assumed in the circle. 
He had done the same thing in earth life 
which I was trying to do in the circle. 
In the attitude I had taken, I was dis- 
regarding the rights and liberties oi 
others. I was commanding like dogs, 
those whom I looked upon as dear 
friends. I was disregarding the rights 
of the other members of the circle and 
svas not divulging to them the knowl- 
edge I was receiving. 
While in earth life he was seeking for 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 53 

knowledge (as I was at this time). In 
order to obtain this knowledge which 
he was seeking, he required the help of 
others (as I did). While this help was 
so important to his success he totally 
disregarded all their rights and liberties 
and refused to give them the light of the 
knowledge which they were procuring 
for him. All this I had been doing in 
this circle, in my dealings with an at- 
titude towards the spirits and the bal- 
ance of the circle. Can you give a more 
striking illustration of like attracting 
like? I cannot. Again we have an- 
other illustration of the truth. u As you 
sow so shall you reap" and that the 
manifestations in a circle clearly indi- 
cate its conditions at the time. 

Another fact is here demonstrated; 
that knowledge confined and covered in 
ones own individuality, is worse than 
ignorance, for it will forge, the chains 
that shall bind him to the powers of 
darkness, but knowlege gained whose 
light is placed upon the mountain top 



54 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

for the guidance and elevation of all 
who majr desire it, shall be the brightest 
stars in the crown of the happy posses- 
sor. 



CHAPTER V. 

CIRCLE NUMBER FOUR. 



Or the natural results arising from a 

continual changing of the position 

of the hands 01 any part of 

the body while in 

the circle. 



This circle was held Sunday evening, 
January 29th. At a circle held a few 
days previous to this one, M. and my- 
self were the only ones present when one 
of the controls instructed us how to 
conduct our next test circle. He in- 
structed us to note the effect upon the 
manifestations of breaking the circle by 
taking his hands off the table and then 
putting them on again. One sitter 
taking his hands off while another was 



56 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

putting his Hands on and to keep this 
up continually so there should be a con- 
tinual changing of the hands upon the 
table, thereby producing what is usually 
called a breaking of the circle or its con- 
ditions. 

M. and myself consulted together in 
regard to the advisibility of instructing 
Z. as to what we wanted her to do, or 
what we were going to do. When we 
decided that as Z. never kept her hands 
on the table more than a lew minutes at 
a time it would not be necessary to say 
anything to her as she would carry out 
the programme by her natural inclina- 
tion without instructions. Therefore we 
said nothing to her about what we were 
going to do. Hence, Z. and F. had 
nothing to do with, and knew nothing 
of the unnatural conditions we expected 
to produce. 

7:30 in the evening found us in our 
usual places around the table. Remem- 
ber we were all to remain negative and 
try to produce the very best conditions 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 57 

ve could, except as before stated. Even 
VI. and myself were to try to produce 
:he very best conditions in our power. 
;ave in the breaking of the circle which 
?v r e were to conduct as before stated. 
Therefore from the opening of the circle 
:o the first break we were supposed to 
lave the very best conditions we could 
make. 

In consequence of such a condition, at 
the very opening, the invisible presence 
of a powerful force was felt throughout 
the circle, which grew in force and 
strength as time went by. At the end 
of a few minutes M. took her hands off 
the table, then in a few minutes more I 
took my hands off, soon after which she 
put her hands on again. Thus we kept 
up this taking off and putting on of 
hands for some time without its having 
any noticeable effect either upon the 
power of the influences or the manifesta- 
tions in the circle. The table continued 
i:o tip, regardless of the breaks or 
.manges we were continually making, 



§8 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

and tlie controls kept remarking through 
F. about the good conditions we had in 
the circle. I asked the guides if we were 
producing the conditions in the circle 
which we had undertaken to produce. 
The table at once rapped "No". I then 
asked, shall some of the setters change 
places? The answer was given "Yes". 
By inquiry we found out that M. and Z. 
were to change places which they at 
once did. We remained in this position 
about ten minutes, it seeming to have no 
effect upon the influences or demonstra- 
tions. I was impressed to change places 
with Z., which I did. The manifesta- 
tions seemed to be uninterrupted 
through any and all changes. The in- 
fluence seemed to be a happy one and 
the manifestations seemed to be more 
the expressions of joy; then the demon- 
stration of great truths. 

Towards the close of the circle, little 
Frankie, our grand child, came and said 
he had been with us to see his parents; 
said he was happy and many other 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 59 

things that would not be of interest 
here. As soon as he had gone one of 
the guides came and said through F.: 
when the conditions are good and no 
particular spirits have been called for 
then the children come. Children are the 
S3 r mbols of a pure and happy condition. 

The meaning they wish to convey by 
the coming of the child was this: The 
frequent changing of positions in a circle 
with good conditions would not change 
the conditions to bad but would only 
change the nature of the communica- 
tions. 

The frequent changes in a circle of the 
position of the sitters would be natural- 
ly caused either from a light and happy 
condition or from a nervous, unsatisfied 
and uneas\ r condition. As we were mak- 
ing the changes under a negative and 
good condition, the manifestations in this 
case would be of the former kind and 
would therefore be of a light and happ3' 
nature. To illustrate this the child 
came, and fearing we would not proper- 



60 TEN TEST CIRCLES, 



ly understand the symbol and its correct 
application, they drew our attention tc 
it through the medium. 

The conditions we had made in the 
circle by the rapid changes partook oi 
the light and happy kind, and we 
attracted the children and the love ele- 
ment prevailed, rather than the higher 
intellectual condition. This they im- 
pressed upon our minds as a point to be 
remembered by making this one of the 
happiest circles we had ever attended. 
All in the circle were impressed with the 
joyful power which seemed to be over- 
shadowing the circle. One of the con- 
trols said through F. that the spirit 
world was just pouring out its benedic- 
tion upon this circle. The lessons taught 
hy the experiences in this circle are first: 
while the circle remained negative and 
harmonious, and the conditions in other 
respects were good,. the mere changing 
of the position of the hands, or even the 
changing of places by the bitters did not 
necessarily make the conditions bad. 



TEN TEST CICREES. 61 

The effect of such changing being notice- 
able only in the nature of the manifesta- 
tions, while the rapid changing of posi- 
tions under the conditions prevailing in 
this circle were not condusive to those 
lengtln r and highly intellectual com- 
munications that might be desired at 
times, nevertheless, they did attract 
that happy love element which lifts the 
soul above the conditions of earth; but 
it should be remembered in this connec- 
tion, that a constant moving or 
changing of places in a circle caused by 
a nervous and uneasy condition in the 
circle would attract a very different 
class of spirits from those attracted by 
this circle. While in this circle they w ere 
happy, elevating and good; in this last 
mentioned condition they would be low 
and from a dark, unprogressive, mater- 
ial condition, therefor unhappy and bad. 
Received under such conditions they 
would neither be reliable, elevating or 
enjoyable. 
In the second place we learn that the 



62 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

taking off of the hands by one or more 
of the sitters in a circle (where the circle 
is formed by placing the hands upon a 
table) does not break the circle. To 
break a circle requires the removal oi 
some of the sitters, a changing of places 
b}^ some of them or the introduction of 
new members into the circle. We fur- 
ther learn that the breaking of a circle 
has only an instantanious effect upon 
the circle where the general conditions 
remain the same and will not be noticed 
in ordinary cases. But where the con- 
ditions are materially changed, either 
by the entire removal of some element 
in the circle or the introduction of some 
new element. It is very different and 
time is required to adjust the influences 
to the new condition. This in all cases 
should be avoided if possible. 

Z. who had never kept her hands upon 
the table only a part of the time, in any 
circle kept them on the table continual- 
ly through this circle, notwithstanding 
we had est)eciallv desired in this circle 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 63 

that she should at least have her hands 
off a part of the time; although we had 
said nothing to her about it, not think- 
ing it necessary for the reasons before 
stated. From this we learn that desires 
expressed before a circle do not necess 
arily have am- effect upon the circle. 
That our minds did not dictate to the 
influences of the circle, and that because 
a sitter had felt impebled to do certain 
things in one circle or in a series of 
circles, it did not necessarily follow that 
at another circle with conditions made 
very much different they would be likely 
to do the same thing. 

We should understand that those who 
are to any degree sensitive will be in- 
fluenced in their actions while in the 
circle, by the conditions in the circle as 
much as will the manifestations. 



CHAPTER VI. 

A CHANGE IN A CIRCLE 



Or an appointed test circle changed by 
the guides to an ordinary circle. 
Positive prooi that these test 
circles were run by or un- 
der the directions 
oi spirits. 



On the Fourth of February, the night 
before the evening on which we expected 
to hold otir fi th circle. M. and nrvself 
sat io learn, if possible, what conditions 
we were to try and obtain for our filth 
circle. We were instructed by our guides 
to have good conditions; nothing un- 
usual but rather the usual conditions. 
The reason ior this we could not find 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 65 



Dut, for when we questioned them in 
regard to it, all we could get was that 
we would find out the next evening; 
We then asked them if F. would come to 
the circle for conditions the next evening; 
they said "no"; and that was all we 
:ould*get upon the subject. 

The next evening, when F. was on his 
way to our house, he came across 
another person who said he was on his 
way to a circle at our house. They 
:ame together to the house and just 
before the time had arrived for the form- 
ing of the circle, I questioned F. what are 
we going to do tonight? What about 
the conditions for this evening? He 
said, "let us have the usual conditions," 
and continuing said that he felt that he 
:ould not sit in a circle having unusual 
:onditions this evening; that he had in- 
tended when leaving home to not stay 
to the circle if we were going to have 
some unusual conditions and said he 
lad felt pleased when he met this party 
joining to the house, as he thought it 



66 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

might induce us to not hold a test circle. 
I then informed him that we had had 
the same thing the night before and that 
it was evident for some reason the 
guides did not wish to hold a test circle 
tonight; that apparently there was 
something else thej^wish to attend to. 

F. thought the fact of his getting it so 
vStrong that the conditions for this even- 
ing must be our ordinary or best con- 
ditions, and the same thing being given 
to us the evening before, when we had 
not seen or hea^d from each other since 
the last test circle a week before at 
which time it was understood that this 
should be a test circle, was even more 
pleasing to him than our test circle. He 
also said these facts should be mentioned 
in connection with these test circles. Of 
course we held one of our ordinary 
circles, and Ave had only got in place 
around the table when another old 
friend (one who had attended our circles 
before we commenced these test circles 
to study the effect of conditions) came 



TEN TKST CIRCLES. 67 

and was admitted to the circle. He said 
he did not much expect to sit in the 
circle but felt impressed to come. So 
you see the forces were working from all 
points to the same end. 

Now, it clearh- shows that the invisi- 
ble intelligence was running these circles 
for the sttid\- of the effect of conditions. 
Having this assurance it can but help 
in giving credibility to this work. 

After the circle got into working or- 
der we learned through the guides that 
there were some whose health needed 
looking after and they gave us directions 
in their cases. We had a very enjoyable 
circle. 

In regard to our future test circles 
the}- said we were to hold ten in all, but 
the\' refused to tell us when we should 
hold our next one. All the instructions 
we could get on the subject was that we 
should hold test circles when we had 
just the required number (which we sup^ 
pose is four, as that is the number we 
have always had in our test circles). I 



68 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

suggested that I guessed we would not 
hold any test circles very soon, as we 
would always have more than four 
present unless we restricted the number. 
But they said "do as we tell you". 

This left all future test circles to be 
held upon this indefinate time, the result 
of w hich can only be given in the future. 
The account of the result of each circle 
is written up by me before the holding 
of the next circle. Nothing is known at 
the writing of these accounts of the re- 
sults of the next circle. 



CHAPTER Vtl 

CIRCT.K NUMBER FIVE. 



Or the anti-impressional phase of spirit 
phenomena demonstrated and the 
effect of business matters enter- 
ing into the ordinary 
circle. 



Although we held circles three times 
each week, and at each we were very 
particular to inquire of our spirit friends 
when we were to have our next test 
circle, (as we called these circles for the 
study of the effect of conditions upon 
spirit manifestations), but at each one 
we were informed that we would be ad~ 
vised in time when they would be ready 
to hold the next test circle. 



70 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

Accordingly on the evening of Febru- 
aiw 16th, the evening for holding our 
regular Thursday night circle. F. our 
medium who seldom failed to attend 
our regular circles was absent, but his 
principle control was with us, and oi 
him we inquired in regard to the reasons 
of his medium not being present at this 
circle. When we were informed by this 
spirit that F.,his medium, had company 
and could not come. I asked this spirit 
if he approved of his medium staying 
away from this circle, or if he considered 
that he had good excuse for staying 
away. He said 4 'yes." We thanked him 
for coming and telling us the cause of 
F's absence when he said "good night" 
and was gone. We afterwards inquired 
the reason of his absence and he informed 
lis that he had company which he could 
lot very well leave. 

While this book is not written, or 
these circles held to convince skeptics of 
:he truth of spiritualism, yet many 
chings have occurred which proved 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 71 

beyond a question or doubt, the pre- 
sence in the circles of an intelligence not 
connected with a physical body, and 
this is one of them, for F. had never been 
absent from the circle unless he was sick 
or absent from the city and we had no 
doubt, and we also expressed onrselves 
that F. must either be sick or ont of 
the city. Not one in this circle had 
in their mind any other canse for his ab- 
sence. 

Notwithstanding onr belief in the mat- 
ter, here comes one of F's controls and 
assures us that F. is not sick or out oi 
the city but that he has company and 
is perfectly excusable for not being pre- 
sent. This was verified on seeing F. as 
being correct in every particular, al- 
though the information was in direct 
opposition to the thoughts or belief oi 
every one in the circle. 

Here then, is another case which is 
beyond the reach of that popular delu- 
sion mind reading. The information 
which was here received, (we shall be 



72 'TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

compelled to believe if we look at it from 
a reasonable or scientific standpoint) 
must have come from the source which 
it claimed namely: A spirit from the 
spirit world who had once inhabited a 
physical bodj r upon the earth, but who 
had many years ago left it and passed 
to spirit life and was now one of F's 
controls and through him was tr3 T ing to 
shed some light in the world, regarding 
that greatest of all philosophy's spirit- 
ualism. 

Our circle after receiving this informa- 
tion was of the usual kind. Various 
friends in spirit life came with messages 
of love and answered many questions, 
and nothing occurred out of the ordi- 
nary course until toward the close 
when we were informed that upon the 
next Tuesday evening the twenty-first 
day of February we were to hold our 
next test circle, and that on the Mon- 
day evening before this Tuesday^ j\[. 
and myself were to sit and they — the 
spirits — would give us directions in re- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 73 

garcl to the conditions which they 
wanted us to test, and other details in 
regard to the holding of this circle. Ac- 
cordingly on Monday evening the twen- 
tieth day of February, M. and myself 
sat as requested, and was instructed to 
hold this test circle as we usually held 
our regular circles^ except we were to 
have the seance room darker than usual, 
allowing no lamp in the room. We were 
also instructed to do nothing to make 
unusual conditions, but to leave that to 
our spirit friends who said they would 
produce the conditions which they 
wanted , the result of which was to be 
embodied in this work as the fifth 
circle. On the next evening, the twentv- 
first, the appointed time for holding 
this fifth circle, which circle was to be 
formed at half past seven, the room was 
to be made darker and as we had in this 
seance room a coal stove with a large 
amount of mica in it, much more light 
was given into the room than was 
desired. M. and myself went to the 



74 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

room a little before seven o'clock and 
placed a screen aronnd the stove so as to 
obstruct the light. After this had been 
done which required only a few minutes. 
I wound up the music box and it com- 
menced to play when I seemed to feel 
very uneasy. I sat down, then got up, 
went to the window, then sat down 
again but could not sit. I walked the 
floor around the room and then out of 
the room but would no sooner get out 
than I would come in again. The lamp 
in the room seemed to me to smell very 
badly, as though it was smoking, al- 
though M. said she did not notice it. 
This disagreeable odor which seemed to 
come from the lamp appeared to 
grow worse. I got more uneasj^ until I 
could stand it no longer, when I carried 
the lamp into an adjoining room and 
blew it out; then coming back into the 
half darkened seance room, (the only 
light in it coming from an electric light 
at the corner of the street close by.) The 
curtains at the windows at this time 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 75 

were up. I then sat down and felt per- 
fectly contented. The music box con- 
tinued to play and M. and myself sat 
quietly in the room for fifteen or twenty 
minutes before F. came, who did not 
arrive until the time for forming the 
circle. He came at once into the half 
darkened room, Z. entering at the -ame 
time taking their places at the table. 
We drew the curtains down and the 
circle was in operation. No time was 
lost in getting manifestations. The 
room seemed full of those invisible 
influences which we so much desire to 
know is always near us. The manifesta- 
tions commenced almost as soon as our 
seats were occupied around the table. 
The xolaying of the music in the meh w 
light of the room for a short time before 
the time for the circle had evident^ at- 
tracted the forces which had the condi- 
tions all properly adjusted and in the 
very best condition to receive the circle 
when the time arrived and consequently 
30 time was required afterthe circle was 



76 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

formed to properly arrange the condi- 
tions for manifestations, which is usual- 
ly the case. 

The first spirit that manifested itself 
was a spirit who had been in spirit life 
about ten years and whose funeral T had 
attended, it being a. Masonic funeral. He 
requested me to ask him some questions 
mentally on Masonry, as a test of his 
identity as well as the presence of that 
disembodied intelligence before men- 
tioned. I then asked him some eight or 
ten questions upon the secrets of Mason- 
ry which could be answered by yes or 
no, every one of which was correctly 
answered. No one in the circle except 
myself was a Mason, and not one of 
them knew what questions I asked, as 
tl.ey were all asked mentally. Not one 
:ould have answered them if they had 
kn wn what they were. 

Skeptics, by what power was this 
done? Several other spirits now mani- 
fested their presence in rapid succession, 
all of which we asked amoii& other 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 



things, if the circle was correct] y formed 
and if the conditions were good. All 
answered in the affirmative. To the 
question, "shall we change the condi- 
tions in any manner for the benefit of 
these experiments," to all of which they 
answered "no". All manifesting spirits 
declared these answers correct, up to 
a. 1 > out half of the circle period, when a 
spirit announced himself and informed 
us that the controlling spirits of this 
circle now requested that a change be 
made in the circle. F. and Z. were to 
change places at the table. The change 
was at once made, when Z. seemed to 
be wonderfully effected by the influences 
she then felt. She sat in the chair which 
the medium, F. had always occupied in 
the circles for the last two 3'ears and hold, 
ing his place at the table. Immediately 
after the change of places were made, F. 
saw clairvoyautly in very lorge letters 
the word progression. This they said 
was to symbolize, not only that all in 
the circle were making progress, but 



78 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

more especially was it intended to rep- 
resent that Z. in taking the position of 
a medium in the circle, was making 
great progress. (The letters in the word 
"progress" as seen by F. being very 
large, the interpretation of this was 
Great Progress.) They wanted to im- 
press itforcibly upon our minds, that to 
become a medium, was progression in 
the strongest term. The taking of a 
mediums place hy Z. under direction of 
the spirits, was to indicate to us that 
she was making progress in that direct- 
ion. I continued to ask of all spirits 
with whom I talked, if we should not 
change the conditions in some way for 
the benefit of these tests, but all said 
"no." While I wondered not a little at 
this, not one in the circle regretted it, 
for the influences which prevailed in the 
circle, and in its every part, were the 
most joyful that we had ever experi- 
enced, and when we started to sing, the 
enthusiasm demonstrated by those in 
the circle was the most remarkable of 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 79 



anything in the history of our circles. 
When we stopped singing I inquired the 
cause of the unexceptionably good con- 
ditions and influences as manifested in 
this circle, (as I had done several times 
before during the circle) but got the same 
answer, that had been given us before, 
namely: that they would tell ns the 
cause of it before we got through. They 
said, when asked if making the room 
darker was the cause of these extra 
good conditions, they answered that 
this helped the conditions some but was 
not the main cause of the excellent con- 
ditions existing in this circle, and again 
assured us that they would tell us what 
the great cause was before we got 
through . There came an unusually large 
number of spirits desiring us to ask 
them questions that could be answered 
by yes or no and always requesting that 
I should first find out what subject they 
wished to be questioned upon, by asking 
the various subjects which I could think 
of. At least on a half-dozen different 



80 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

occasions during the circle, did I go 
through all the different subjects I cculd 
think oi, as: "Is it about the circle yon 
wish me to question you?" "Is it about 
our development?' ' "Is it about the 
spirit world?" "Is it about any one in 
particular?" "Is it about the health of 
any one?" and many other questions, 
until in at least three different cases I 
exhausted all the subjects I could think 
of without finding out the subject they 
desired to talk about and they went 
away without being questioned, except 
in regard to the subject which they 
wished to talk on. In all the other cases 
I nearly run out of subjeets before find- 
ing the one they desired. 

These spirits desiring to be questioned 
as above, did not come one directly after 
the other, but one would come and when 
he would go, perhaps some spirit would 
come and talk to us through F. When 
he "was through another of those w T ho 
wanted to be questioned would come. 
These spirits who desired to be ques- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 81 

tioned seemed to come at the end ot 
short intervals all through the circle. 

The point here which I wish to lay 
great stress upon is, that six or seven 
spirits came at different times, all 
through the circle, and all requested the 
same "thing, to- wit: That we ask ques- 
tions that could be answered by yes or 
no, and that we first find out the sub- 
ject of such conversation, and that we, I 
say we, for all joined in asking the ques- 
tions in regard to the subject, exhausted 
all the subjects we could think of, in 
about half of these cases, without find- 
ing the subject, and nearly exhausted 
them in the balance before finding the 
correct subject. At the time none of us 
noticed anything peculiar in this, or any- 
thing out of the usual order, neither did 
we in the least suspect the object of this 
until the end of the circle. At one time 
during the circle a spirit came who, when 
in earth-life, was a preacher. He talked 
to us upon the beauties of spiritualism 
through F, and seemed to do it very 



82 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

easy under our conditions, it being the 
same spirit that came in one of our 
former test circles under bad conditions, 
and found it so very hard to speak 
through the same medium, showing the 
wonderful effect of conditions upon the 
powers of spirits to use mediums. 

There seemed to be quite a disposition 
on the part of the spirits in control of 
the circle to develop the medium istic 
qualities of those in the circle. Several 
things were ordered dane to facilitate 
this which otherwise would not be nec- 
essary. This teaches us that the spirit 
world is desirous that we develope our 
mediumship and that when the condi- 
tions are good they will work to that 
end, and that no opportunity will be lost 
by them to assist us in such develop- 
ment. The circle continued under that 
happy, joyful, progressive influence until 
the end. 

When one of the controls announced 
that they were ready to say good night 
and close the circle, the table then tipped 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 83 

five times which was the way they al- 
ways said good night. We all said good 
night as soon as the table had tipped 
the fifth time and we supposed that no 
further eommrini cation from the spirit 
world would be received that evening, 
but just as soon as we had all said good 
night F. was controlled and in a kind of 
a strange, drawn-out, sing-song voice 
said : " I will now give j^ou the greatest 
cause for the good conditions we have 
had tonight." "(The word business has 
not been used in this circle." The con- 
trol then immediatel\ r left F. and we all 
had a heart\ T laugh when we realized 
the truthfulness of this statement. We 
were filled with wonder when we fully 
comprehended the fact that at every 
circle (for I do not believe there had 
been one exception to this rule) about 
the third question asked under similar 
circumstances, had always been upon 
business matters. 

Whenever a spirit had come to oui 
circle and manifested a desire to have 



84 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

us ask questions, we usually commenced 
about like this, first: Do you want to 
talk about the circle? Second, Do you 
want to talk about health? Third, Do 
you want to talk about business mat- 
ters ? Many times it would be, first, Do 
you w ant to talk about health? Second, 
Do you w r ant to talk about business? 
business never having come later than 
the third or fourth question, and many 
times it was the second. But in this 
circle, although we had been called upon 
to nearly exhaust the subjects for con- 
versation, that we could think oi in 
many cases, and in several cases we had 
all entirely exhausted them. Yet the 
subject of business had - never been 
thought of by us. This I consider the 
most remarkable phenomenon that ever 
occurred in any circle of which 1 was a 
participant. Here were four of us in 
the circle all being accustomed not only 
to ask, but to hear others in the circle 
ask of the manifesting spirit the follow* . 
ing questions: Is there something you 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 85 

would like to tell us about our business? 
Do 3^ou wish to talk to us on business 
matters? Can 3^ou give us some advice 
that will help us in our business? All 
these and many others of a like nature 
were as familiar to all of us in the circle 
as the" tunes pla} r ed b\ T the music box. 
Yet in this one where the greatest de- 
mand had been made upon us for sub- 
jects to talk upon, all of us having been 
called upon to completely exhaust our 
vocabulary of subjects without finding 
the right one, not one of us ever think- 
ing of the familiar subject of our busi- 
ness matters. Here was a new phase of 
spirit phenomena. One that we will 
call the anti-impressional condition, one 
that was wholly new to me, being a 
phase that I had never seen mentioned 
in any list of the different phases of 
spirit phenomena. 

Here were four persons sitting in this 
circle (none of whom were in a trance 
condition or wholly under control), all 
actively trying with all their pow T ers, to 



86 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

think of the subject upon which the 
manifesting spirit might wish to talk, 
and not only at one time, but in at least 
a half dozen different and distinctly sep- 
arate times during the circle, was this 
the case. All being called upon in many 
cases, to the fullest extent of their abil- 
ity in this direction, and yet not one of 
us was permitted to think of the subject 
of our business. Although this was the 
most familiar as well as the one most 
talked about of any subject which had 
been discussed in our previous circles. 
Here was a clear case of the interrup- 
tion of thought along certain lines b^^ 
spirit power. This suspension, or more 
properly prevention of thought, was 
successful^ accomplished in four brains 
at the same time, and at a number of 
different times in this circle. This opens 
up another field for study in spirit phen- 
omena. If a spirit can suspend the oper- 
ation of a thought which memory would 
be able to arouse, on any one subject, 
while the whole brains including- mem- 



TEN TEST* CIRCLES. 87 

ory and thought remains perfectly active 

and bright upon all other subjects, then 
a spirit could take away a persons rec- 
ollection of any particular subject or 
event, without impairing their mind in 
any other direction, or in the least effect- 
ing -their memory upon other subjects. 
This seems to have been demonstrated 
as a fact b} 7 the experiments and results 
before mentioned. This particular phase 
of spirit power may account for some 
very mysterious cases of supposed per- 
jury, as w^ell as many cases of an una- 
countable indisposition, to tell the whole 
truth, by those whom we would not 
expect to evade a statement of the wdiole 
truth. How often does it occur that a 
witness upon the stand and under oath, 
testifies positively to an occurrence 
where something w r as said and done, 
and further states that another witness 
present in court saw and heard the same 
thing at the same time; but when the 
other witness is called he remembers of 
being 1 there, and at the time, saw and 



88 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

heard the same as the other witness ex- 
cept upon one very important point, 
and upon this he remembers nothing, 
and it is most always the case, that this 
oneunremembered point spoils the effect 
and weight of their whole evidence, and 
such witnesses have been looked upon 
as perjurers, or as having very little re- 
gard for their oath. Under the forego- 
ing facts may it not be possible that 
many such witnesses are not responsi- 
ble for the condition of their thoughts 
or memory upon this particular point? 

After these developments would it not 
be well to consider these points and en- 
de, vor to make no mistakes in judging 
of the cause or reasons for some very 
strange cases of forgetfulness that may 
have effected us to a greater or less de- 
gree ? 

The foregoing experiments prove that 
it is possible for a person to forget his 
own name under this kind of spirit influ- 
ence, without having his mind impaired 
in the slightest degree in any other di- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 89 

rection, or upon any other subject. Anc 
yet, any one who had forgotten his owi 
name would, if he persisted in it, b< 
considered demented, or accused of lying 
by most plrysicians of today. 

It now seems possible for them to be 
mistaken upon this point, in addition tc 
the long list of mistakes they have made. 
What the effect of this phase of the 
phenomenon may have upon the condi- 
tion of mankind cannot be fully compre- 
hended at this time. What its effect has 
been upon the past ages, and what it 
!iad to do with some of the apparently 
lost arts, may become a very interesting 
study, and a subject for scientific re- 
search. 

The lessons taught by the experiences 
and manifestations in this circle are in 
the first place, the spirit controls insist- 
ed upon making or producing the con- 
ditions which they desired to have in 
this circle. All were to sit only with a 
view to the forming of good conditions. 
The reason for their desiring to make 



90 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

the conditions in this circle you will 
readily see were because they only could 
make the conditions which they wanted 
to illustrate, as predominating in the 
circle. 

If we had said, not one of us must 
think of the word business during this 
circle, there would not have been one 
who would not have had that word 
pass through his mind many times dur- 
ing the circle. You will readily see that 
if we are not to think of a certain word, 
in order to be sure that we don't think 
of it, we must remember what that 
word is, and to remember what the 
word is, is to have it in mind, or think 
of it. Hence the absolute necessity of 
all being kept ignorant in regard to the 
conditions which were asserting their 
influence upon the circle. In this circle 
we were all kept in the dark upon this 
point, while in all previous circles only 
a part were kept ignorant in regard to 
the conditions which were influencing 
the circle, and we should remember that 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 91 

if it had been possible for us to have en- 
tirely banished the thought of the word 
business from our mind, then it would 
have been impossible for the spirits to 
have demonstrated their power to pre- 
vent thought, or produce forgetfulness 
on an 3^ particular subject without other- 
wise affecting the mind. 

The reason for the demand for a dark 
seance room was, to have better condi- 
tions. Sun light or any artificial light, 
is a material condition, and if the circle 
is composed of persons of the proper 
moral standard, the absence of material 
light helps the conditions. On the other 
hand, if the moral integrhVv of those, or 
any one of them in the circle cam:ot be 
vouched for, then the better conditions 
will be produced in the light. That 
nervous, uneasy feeling which came over 
me while in the seance room, before the 
circle, as well as that disagreeable odor 
which appeared to come from the lamp, 
was an influence to lead me to put the 
room in proper condition, to be made 



92 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

ready by the controls to receive the 
circle. When I had accomplished this I 
felt no more uneasiness. From this we 
learn that a room for best conditions 
needs a spirit preparation before the 
circle is formed. The manifestations by 
that spirit who was a Mason, and the 
answering by him correctly eight or ten 
questions upon the secret work of Ma- 
sonry which had been asked mentally, 
teaches us that when the conditions are 
good, and we ask the questions of those 
spirits that from their development, or 
their familiarity with the subject while 
in earth-life, they would be likeh 7 to 
have understood, we will get correct an- 
swers. We should always bear in mind 
that spirits, like mortals, have to learn 
what they^ know. Therefore a spirit 
should not be expected to know every- 
thing. What one spirit does not know, 
you may be able to find another that 
does know. No one spirit can be found 
that can give you correct information 
upon all subjects. 



TEN TEST CICREES. 93 

I continued through out the circle, at 
short intervals, to ask of the controls if 
they did not want the conditions 
changed, for we were looking for some 
radical change in the conditions, and 
we thought several times during the 
circle, that something must be wrong, 
or the conditions would have been 
changed, not understanding the points 
which they wished to demonstrate. 

The word Progress in very large let- 
ters as seen by F, is interpreted Great 
Progress. Being given directly in con- 
nection with the change of places by F 
and Z, it denoted that proper mediumis- 
tic development was the way in which 
to make great progress, and that the 
holding of circles for the study of the 
effect of conditions upon manifestations, 
was progress in the right direction. The 
joyfal condition in the circle was due to 
2^ood, harmonious conditions, and the 
reason why our spirit friends did not 
tell us the cause of the extra good con- 
ditions in this circle, was because, had 



94 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

tliej told us they would been obliged to 
have put the word business into the 
minds of all, the absenee of which, was 
the cause of this happy condition. 

They purposely called for these sub- 
jects many times in the circle, to con- 
vince us that they had the power to sus- 
pend our thoughts on the subject oi 
business and that it was utterly im- 
possible for any one of us to think of 
any subject which they were able to 
obstruct in our minds. The same 
preacher who come in a previous circle 
and made such hard work for himself 
and the medium to get out a few broken 
and disconnected sentences under poorer 
conditions, came and talked easily and 
connectedly under the better conditions 
existing in this circle. 

A disposition to develope mediumistic 
qualities in this circle, was to teach us, 
that under proper conditions medium- 
ship was desirable, and to help the de- 
velopment of those who are mediumistic 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 93 

in the circle, was one of its especial pre- 
rogatives. 

The absence of the word business from 
our circle, and which purported to be 
the main cause of the good conditions, 
was to teach us that if we desired to 
have good conditions in our circles, we 
must .not enter into the discussion oi 
material business, or any purely worldly, 
or physical subjects ; that these subjects 
belonged to a lower condition and 
should be excluded from the better class 
of circles. If you wish to consult the 
spirit world upon the subject of your 
business, hold a circle for that purpose 
at a time and place, recommended by 
your business control (if you have one,) 
or some spirit that has been known to 
have made a success in business affairs 
while in earth-life. 

Now we come to the most important 
lesson taught in this circle, which was, 
that s|)irits could produce in certain or- 
ganizations and under proper conditions 
that anti-impression al condition which 



96 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

was fully demonstrated in this circle, 
whereby the} r are able to suspend the 
operation of memory upon any one line 
of thought without suspending 01 
affecting other lines. The demonstra- 
tion of this power, I believe, opens up 
another very important field for investi- 
gation and study. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CIRCLE NUMBER SIX. 



Or the great number of magnetic con- 
ditions which may be produced in 
large circles , and how a change 
in the conditions will change 
the manifesting spirits. 



On the Monday evening previous to 
the holding of this our sixth test circle, 
M. and myself sat, as had been directed, 
at a circle held a few evenings before, to 
receive instructions from the guides in 
regard to conditions for this test circle, 
at which time, we received instructions 
as follows: We were to conduct this 
circle as we usually conducted circles 
when good conditions were required, 



98 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

with the following exception: During 
the first half of the circle F. was to 
place his hands on the table, the balance 
of us were to occupy our usual places 
around the table, but was neither to 
join hands nor place our hands on the 
table, but during the last half of the 
circle, we were all to place our hands on 
the table with the exception of M. who 
was to place her hands on those of F's. 
On the evening of the first day of March 
we proceeded to form- this our sixth test 
circle according to the instructions pre- 
viously received — F. placing his hands 
on the table, while the balance of us sat 
quietly in our places around the table, 
without putting our hands upon it. 
The music box was playing as usual, 
but no moving of the table or other 
demonstrations was apparent for some 
ten or fifteen minutes, at the end of 
which time F. patted the table quite 
rapidly with his right hand, the same 
being under complete control of an in- 
visible influence. Questions were asked 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 99 

by us, the answers of which were given 
by raps of his hand upon the table. 

The manifesting spirits seemed to be 
strangers in our circle. The first that 
came said he was an Egyptian; bad been 
in the spirit world three hundred years 
and had come to our circle as a teacher. 
He informed us that he was teaching a 
class of spirits at our circle by demon- 
strating the law of control, and the 
effect of conditions. These he was able 
to illustrate through our circle, and 
that such illustration was absolutely 
necessary to a thorough understanding 
of these laws. He also explained that 
he was permitted to come to our circle 
through the peculiar conditions existing 
at the commencement of this circle, and 
that under the ordinary conditions of 
our circle, he could not have made him- 
self manifest. 

The next one that came said he was a 
Mohammedan who had visited our cir- 
cle once, on a previous occasion, when 
be was attracted by the conditions ex- 



100 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



isting in the circle at the time. He then 
expressed himself as having received 
some light since going to the spirit land, 
and desired to come back and to help 
overthrow some of the superstitions 
and consequent slavery imposed upon 
the people under the name of religion. 
The last half of the circle was only at- 
tended by the usual results. The object 
of this change was to show us how 
completely the influences were changed 
upon the changing of the conditions. 
None of the spirits manifesting during 
the first half of the circle could manifest 
under the conditions existing in the last 
half; neither could those who came last 
have manifested under the conditions in 
the first half. Now we wish briefly to 
glance at the lessons taught by the ex- 
periences of this circle. 

Spiritual attraction and repulsion are 
governed by moral affinity. A moral 
condition will repulse all above or below 
the aspirations of that condition, and 
attract all of a like moral condition. 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 101 

Therefore, in all circles, the many are 
repulsed, while the few are attracted. 
This law cannot be set aside or over- 
come, it holds good under every and all 
circumstances and conditions. Those 
who are not attracted are repulsed, and 
those who are repulsed cannot come; 
therefore, only those who are attracted 
can manifest their presence in a circle. 
The changing of places by those sitting 
in a circle, or the removing of hands 
from a table where the circle is formed 
by placing the hands upon the table, 
changes the magnetism or magnetic 
conditions of the circle. Each magnetic 
condition has a moral tendency j)eculiar 
to itself, and every change in the moral 
tendencies of a circle attracts a different 
class of spirits. It may repulse the very 
ones which, a few minutes before, it was 
attracting under little different condi- 
tions. 

The changes that can be made in the 
conditions of a circle by the changing ol 
places by the sitters is wonderful. While 



102 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

two could only produce b} r their natural 
influences two separate magnetic or 
moral conditions, three could produce 
six, and four twenty-four, while five 
would be able, to make one hundred and 
twenty, and six could produce seven 
hundred and twenty, and a circle of ten 
could make more than three and a half 
millions of separate and distinct condi- 
tions, by a change of position in the 
circle. 

The range or extremes of the moral 
conditions which can be produced in a 
circle is always between the highest and 
the lowest element in the circle. Under 
some combinations of the magnetic in- 
fluences, the moral tendencies of a circle 
will be nearly in harmony with the 
highest individual condition in the circle, 
while under other combinations the 
moral atmosphere will sink to the level 
of the lower conditions found in the cir 
cle. The rapidity with which the num- 
ber of different conditions which can be 
obtained, are increased by enlarging the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 103 

circle, shows us how difficult it is to 
handle large circles to the best advan- 
tage, and they should never be indulged 
in except for experiment, and then only 
with the greatest care. 

I do not believe a great amount of 
good will ever be derived from large cir- 
cles,- even for experimental purposes. 
The combinations that can be formed 
are so great that they can never be 
properly studied. The small circle, com- 
posed of two or three, can be studied in 
all its various combinations and condi- 
tions. Such circles are usually condu- 
cive to the very best results. Hence, the 
bible says: " Where tw or three shall 
be gathered together in my name, etc., 
etc." 

Circles formed with a view to their 
best magnetic condition, promotes the 
moral and spiritual elevation of all in 
the circle. All will feel the elevating in- 
fluence, and will be led towards a better 
life. These good influences will be felt 
for several days after the circle, while 



104 TEN TES'T CIRCLES. 

circles formed to the lowest vibrations 
of the magnetic force, will have a de- 
pressing effect upon the circle, and the 
influences surrounding such a circle 
always leads in the direction of a lower 
moral condition. Such tendencies will 
be seen and felt for a long time after the 
circle. 

Theeffect of conditions upon the moral 
tendencies of a circle may be partially 
comprehended when we fully understand 
that a circle formed of the same individ- 
uals may have an elevating, or a lower- 
ing moral effect, upon those who compose 
the circle. Its influence may guide you 
along the path that leads to higher and 
purer conditions, or they may pilot you 
along that road which terminates in 
moral degradation. All this difference, 
in its moral effect upon the sitters, will 
depend upon the proper adjustment of 
its magnetic force, or in other words, 
the proper arrangement of the circle, to 
produce magnetic harmony. The indi- 
viduals forming the circle may be com- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 105 

pared magnetically, to as many different 
colors. These colors can be so arranged 
that they will blend in one harmonious 
whole, until they shall fill the beholder 
with wonder and delight, while their in- 
fluence upon all, would be both pleasing 
and elevating. 

Let -just a few of them change places, 
and you have the most discordant, in- 
harmonious, displeasing combination 
that one cotild imagine. They now 
create inharmony and depression of 
spirits, and a resulting lower, moral 
tendency, in the beholder. You could 
hardly make yourself believe that the 
combination was formed of the same 
individual colors as that pleasing effect 
before arranged. 

Of course, the force and power of the 
pleasing and elevating effect upon the 
beholder will depend upon the clearness 
and purity of the colors used. The 
purer and clearer the colors the grander 
will be the effect. But if the colors be 
muddy and filled with impurities, no 



106 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

amount of skill in the arrangement of 
them could produce that pleasing effect, 
which would be attainable with a better 
class of colors. 

And so it is with circles, the purer the 
individual, moral or magnetic condition, 
the grander will be the effect of their 
proper arrangement. But with the in- 
dividuals in the circle, as with the colors, 
the good effect of the purest material, 
may be entirely lost by an improper, or 
an unartistical arrangement of them. 
The harmonious blending of a circle is 
as much more far reaching, in its effect 
upon the participants or beholders, than 
the artistic display of colors, as the ma- 
terial used in the circle, is above the ma- 
terial used in the displa\- of colors. 

We find in the first half of the circle 
F. alone had his hands upon the table. 
We had here formed a condition which 
was unusual in our circles. We, as a 
result, attracted unusual spirits, or 
those who were not common attendants 
at our circles. Conditions not common 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 107 

in the circles, will always attract spirits 
not common attendants upon the cir- 
cles. This is the law, and this has been 
demonstrated in this circle. If you keep 
about the same conditions in each cir- 
cle, you will always have about the 
same spirits manifest their presence in 
your" circles. A change of conditions 
will draw outside spirits, in other 
words a new class of spirits, and these 
new arrivals will be either higher or 
lower than the regular attendants, ac- 
cording to whether the conditions were 
made better or worse in the change. 

Spirits thus attracted will always lean 
towards the sentiments or inclinations 
of the predominating element in the cir- 
cle. Whether it is business material, 
scientific, mirthful, sentimental, or in 
whatever direction its tendencies mav 
lead. This was fully demonstrated in 
this circle, F. being the only one to place 
his hands upon the table, was the most 
active participant in the circle. There- 
fore, his condition predominated. He 



108 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



being a medium, and occupying that 
position in the circle, he was acting in 
the capacity of one whose business it 
was to convey knowledge from a higher 
to a lower condition, which placed him 
directly in the line of a teacher. And 
strictly in accordance with the law, a 
teacher was the first spirit to be at- 
tracted by these conditions. This Egyp- 
tian spirit which had been in the spirit- 
world for three hundred years, had 
become a teacher of spirits, and when 
he manifested his presence in our circle, 
he declared that he had been attracted 
to our circle by the peculiar conditions 
we had made, for the purpose of teach- 
ing the spirits who attended our circle, 
the law of control, or how to control a 
physical body. 

How very much alike are the condi- 
tions in the circle, and those attracted 
to the circle. Mind you this teacher 
came to teach those upon his side of life 
(spirits) usually, spirits who manifest 
their presence in a circle, come to teach 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 109 

mortals, but in this case, true to the 
conditions, the manifesting spirit was a 
teacher of spirits ; F. in the capacity of 
a medium was a teacher of those upon 
his side of life (mortals) in both cases, 
like were teaching like, mortal teach- 
ing mortal, and spirit teaching spirit. 
And here again we have another posi- 
tive demonstration of the law which 
teaches that, like attracts like. 



CHAPTER IX. 

OKCLE NUMBER SEVEN, 



The effect of skepticism and doubt in 

a circle. Doubt the result of 

ignorance. To doubt is 

to assume lower 

conditions. 



Our spirit guides informed us about 
ten days previous to that date, that on 
the 15th of the month, they desired us 
to hold our Seventh Test Circle, and 
that on the evening of the 14th, they 
requested M. and myself to sit, and they 
would give us directions in regard to 
the kind of conditions, and how to ob- 
tain thein, which they would like to 
have at our next, or the Seventh Test 
Circle. 



TEN TEST CICRLES. Ill 

Accordingly, on the evening of the 
14th, the evening before we was to hold 
our test circle, M. and im^self sat, as 
directed, for the purpose of receiving 
instructions for conducting the test cir- 
cle. We sat in the same room and every- 
thing seemed to be in the usual condi- 
tion. - We had sat but a few minutes 
when we had demonstrations of spirit 
presence, and upon inquiry, we found 
the}' were the spirits who usually at- 
tended our circles. We asked them if 
they were ready to give us the instruc- 
tions for the producing of the desired 
conditions for the test circle? Their 
answer was no. The manifestations 
continued and a number of our regular 
guides reported their presence, and 
many questions were asked and an- 
swered upon the common place subjects 
of the day, after which I again asked 
them if they were ready to instruct us 
about the conducting of our test circle ? 
Their answer was again no. I then 
said, do you want us to hold a test cir- 



112 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

cle tomorrow evening? Their answer 
was yes. I then asked, are you going 
to give us instructions regarding this 
circle ? The answer came promptly, and 
was no. 

We were surprised and not a little an- 
noyed by that flat refusal to give us 
what they had agreed to, after we had 
complied with their requirements. We 
tried to think that perhaps it was all 
right, still I could hardly see how it 
could be explained, as a strictly honora- 
ble transaction on the part of our 
guides. To positively refuse to do as 
they had agreed, without giving any ex- 
planation of their conduct, did not seem 
to me to be of that high, moral and 
truthful character of which we had 
always given our controls credit. 

After this strange condition of things 
had been revolving in our minds for a 
few minutes, a spirit manifested its 
presence, and upon inquiry we found it 
to be a spirit, who, on a former occa- 
sion, gave us a regular string of contra- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 113 

dictions and falsehoods, and then ac- 
knowledged them to be such, and was 
pronounced by our guides, as unreliable 
and dishonest although he had been 
considered by us to be very trustworthy 
before this, whereupon he had been or- 
dered not to come to our circles again, 
and "we instructed our guides not to 
admit him any more to our circles under 
any circumstances, as we wanted only 
upright, moral and reliable spirits, to 
attend our circles. 

When we found it was he who had 
been ordered to stay awaj', we asked 
b}' what right he came ? He said it was 
not him who gave us that unreliable 
and contradictory communications, but 
that it was some low spirit trying to 
personate him, and, as up to that time, 
his communications had always been 
reliable and we had placed the greatest 
reliance upon whatever he might say. 
We were inclined to believe that this 
last statement of his was true, that we 
had wrongfully accused him of being 



114 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

the author of those contradictory mes- 
sages received at that former circle, and 
we felt favorable to again receiving him 
into our circle and placing reliance upon 
what he might say. 

Accordingly, he was permitted to stay, 
when he commenced to make state- 
ments and answer questions, the princi- 
ple part of which he either contradicted or 
changed so that they did not have much 
resemblance to truth. Then I informed 
him that he was the same unreliable, 
untruthful spirit, that he had proved 
himself to be on that former occasion, 
and that we had no use for such influ- 
ences, and I could not understand why 
he had been admitted again to our cir- 
cle. At the conclusion of these remarks, 
we found that he had gone. 

Our guides refused to give us any in- 
formation in regard to this very strange 
conduct, and this circle continued in the 
most disagreeable and unsatisfactory 
manner of any circle we had ever had. 
In fact, we felt the evil effect of its influ- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 115 

cnce the next day, but had no idea of 
its cause. I made the remark to M. 
that I wished we had not had this sit- 
ting, for it had made me feel uncomfort- 
able ever since. 

We could not account for the failure of 
our guides to do as they had agreed, or 
the disagreeable and unreliable influen- 
ces which surrounded us at this sitting, 
and we feared that our seventh circle 
would prove a failure on account of the 
adverse influences which had seemed to 
get control of our circle or sitting. 

This feeling gradually wore off to- 
wards the evening of the fifteenth, the 
time for holding this our seventh circle. 
We began to look upon the event of our 
last sitting in a more philosophical way, 
reasoning that our guides would proba- 
bly inaugurate the conditions required, 
or instruct us how to do so when we 
got together for the circle. We there- 
fore came to the circle in the evening in 
a much more harmonious feeling than 
bad surrounded us all day. 



116 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

The seventh circle was formed as all 
others had been, and the same persons 
composed it. But a few minutes elapsed 
before we had evidences of spirit pres- 
ence, and they were found to be our reg- 
ular controls who declared the circle to 
be in proper form, and surrounded b} r 
good conditions. As we had the ordi- 
nary good conditions in the circle, and 
they had expressed themselves at several 
times during the sitting that no change 
of conditions was necessary, we failed 
to see where the test of the influence of 
conditions was to come in, but we 
thought, as thej' had failed to give us 
the instructions which they had prom- 
ised, we had no particular responsibility 
in the matter, we would let them run it, 
and do nothing ourselves in the way of 
changing conditions until we got in- 
structions to do so. We therefore dis- 
carded all thought upon the subject 
from our minds, and continued as we 
would in an ordinary circle. 

A spirit came and talked through P. 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 117 

vSaid he was a stranger to us, and that 
his name was David, and that he was a 
Welchman, and said he had been at- 
tracted to our circle by the conditions 
existing at the sitting the evening be- 
fore, and those which had surrounded 
us during the day. That he had just 
been- able at this circle to comprehend 
for the first time since he had passed 
from earth to his present condition, 
which was a great many years ago, 
that he was still David, the Welchman; 
and he seemed rejoiced at this discovery, 
and thanked us many times through F., 
for the conditions which had attracted 
him here, and the circle which gave him 
the light, and the knowledge, that not- 
withstanding the changes which had 
taken place, and the total dissolution of 
the physical body, he still remained 
David, the Welchman. 

As soon as David withdrew, another 
spirit came and said he was compara- 
tively a stranger to us, although he had 
been to our circles many times, that this 



Il8 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

was his son David, who had just been 
talking through the medium, and said 
he had been working many years to get 
David to the light. David had believed 
when in earth -life, that at the death or 
the dissolution of the body, there would 
be no more David the Welehman; and 
when he saw his body placed in the 
grave, he could not understand why 
this horrid nightmare of a semi-con- 
scious, continued existance, should still 
cling to him ; and he hovered around his 
decaying body trying to become uncon- 
scious of a further existence; believing 
as he did, that the little consciousness 
which he was forced to realize, was but 
the nightmare induced by the fast re- 
ceding rays of life, into the darkness of 
oblivion. He thought he seemed to see 
and hear his father and other friends 
whom he supposed were dead, but be- 
lieved it was a delusion, and took it as a 
further evidence of an approaching and 
overwhelming dissolution of his mental 
faculties: and this condition he courted. 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 119 

believing it to be the only ultimate re- 
suit, and the suspense to him was tor- 
ture. 

A spirit then came and said that the 
conditions surrounding the circle the 
evening before, and their effect upon the 
manifestations, was what they wanted 
special attention paid to, in making the 
report of the seventh circle. The bal- 
ance of the circle was unattended by 
anything unusual, but was lively with 
manifestations and communications 
upon various subjects, which was not 
specially connected with this work, ex- 
cept that the conditions were good, and 
the manifestations and communications, 
as a result, was also good. 

The wisdom and tact displayed by the 
guides in giving us a condition and its 
peculiar effects upon manifestations and 
the circle, which could not have been 
given at a regular test circle, will be ap. 
parent. 

The conditions desired for this tesl 
circle was disappointment and doubt 



120 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

If they had undertaken to disappoint 
us in our regular test circle, we could 
not have recovered a condition during 
the sitting to have received the informa- 
tion required at this circle, or have fully 
understood the conditions we had ; and 
if they had informed us beforehand of 
the disappointed feeling, and doubtful 
condition which they intended to have 
in this circle, they could not have disap- 
pointed us, and doubts would never 
have crept in, for such knowledge would 
have given us more assurance instead 
of doubts, and their attempt to produce 
a condition of doubt and disappoint, 
ment, would have proven a failure. 

So much for their wisdom and our 
ignorance. Now we will review the 
conditions which existed, and their effect 
upon the manifestations, commencing 
with the one held on the fourteenth, as 
really this was the one containing, or 
being effected, by the principle conditions 
required for the seventh circle. 

This circle, on the 14th. was com- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 121 



nienced with the ordinary conditions, 
and the spirits who were attracted first 
was those regular attendants who 
always came to our circle with good 
conditions, or those usually prevailing. 

This condition continued until I asked 
them if they were ready to instruct us 
regarding our test circle ? and they said 
no. A slight change then came over the 
circle and the spirits who came did not 
make their identity known. When I 
asked the same question about ten min- 
utes after, and got the same answer, a 
still greater change came over the circle. 
It will be remembered that we were sit- 
ting by these spirits request, expressly 
for these instructions. 

The spirits who came after this were 
all strangers to us, and did not seem to 
have any particular business at our cir- 
cle, and failed to give us any informa- 
tion upon the subjects talked about; but 
when, about fifteen minutes later, I 
asked them for the third time, about 
giving these instructions, and they de- 



122 TEN TEST CIRCLE^. 

clared they wer^ not going to give us 
any, and refused to give us any light re- 
garding the cause of their strange and 
apparently unreliable conduct, we were 
seized with a positive feeling of disap- 
pointment and doubt about the reliabil- 
ity of the communications we had re- 
ceived. At this point the table tipped- 
ten times, and that: spirit: announced his 
presence, which had been ordered not to 
come to our circle any more, and the 
one which our guides had positively, 
assured lis, should not be allowed to in- 
trude upon us again ; and this filled us 
with further doubt, which helped to 
strengthen the conditions, which had 
let this unreliable spirit in, and he went 
onto give us a lot of untruthful, contra- 
dictory statements, as before given. We 
never thought, at this time, that what 
was being enacted, was to be the princi- 
ple conditions, and their effects the subject 
of our seventh test circle, and a lack of 
this knowledge, was what gave power to 
the conditions. It had here been demon- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 123 

strated to us, although we did not at 
the time understand it, and never com- 
prehended what we had received until 
our attention was called to it, at the 
seventh circle, which was held on the 
following evening, that a feeling of dis- 
appointment in a circle, regarding the 
kind or nature of the manifestations or 
a doubt in regard to the reliability or 
genuineness of phenomenon produced, 
would attract those spirits which we 
did not want, and that all manifesta- 
tions and communications received un- 
der such conditio ns, would be fraudulent 
and wholly unreliable. The most im- 
portant point made, was that such a 
condition wholly precluded the possi- 
bility of our guides being able to keep 
out unreliable spirits. This condition 
opens the door to unreliable influences, 
and unless our guides could change this 
feeling in the circle (which would be the 
next thing to an impossibility, as faith 
and a restoration of confidence could 
only be produced in such cases by 



124 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

genuine and reliable manifestations; and 
such manifestations can only be pro* 
dueed in a trusting, confident and un- 
doubting condition) they can never close 
the door against lieing and deceiving 
spirits. When you sit in a circle, and it 
matters not how good your medium 
may be, with your mind full of a feeling 
of disappointment or doubt about the 
manifestations, you have opened the 
door to those spirits which are unreli- 
able and not worthy of your confidence, 
and no controls or guides of that circle 
can close that door, except by a change 
in your mind or your removal from the 
the circle. And this again is according 
to that inevitable law of like produces 
1'ke. Doubt is an unstable condition of 
the mind, and produces an uncertain, 
unreliable condition in the circle, and 
where much of it exists, no reliance 
whatever can be placed upon either the 
manifestations or the communications, 
for it repells the good, and attracts the 
ignorant. For ignorance is the off-sming 



TEN TEST CICKLES. 125 



of error, and doubt the child of ignor- 
ance. Then under the law of like attracts 
like, doubt attracts ignorance and its 
parent error. Doubting is a reaching 
down. To doubt is to take a position 
on a lower level than that to which the 
doubter naturally belongs. And where 
the doubter at once commences to re- 
trace his steps to a position of knowl- 
edge, he is often able to assist and ele- 
vate those in the lower conditions which 
he could reach in no other way. For 
where a person goes down to a condi- 
tion of doubt, they will attract or be sur- 
rounded by the ignorant and those in 
error, and where they immediatley com- 
mence to ascend to that higher condi- 
tion of knowledge they are liable to lead 
or take along with them to the higher 
condition those whom they found in that 
doubt or dark condition to which they 
had descended. 

To doubt is like dropping a baited 
hook to the bottom of a fish pond, 
when it returns towards the top it is 



126 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

liable to bring valuable fish with it. 
When one doubts he lowers his attrac- 
tions (his bait) into that lower condi- 
tion of dark uncertainty, and when he 
withdraws them to take the higher po- 
sition of knowledge, he is pretty sure to 
bring some with him from that lower 
condition. A fine illustration and prac- 
tical demonstration of this was given 
in this circle in the case of David the 
Welchman. You will remember that at 
the sitting on the evening before this 
circle (an account of which has been 
given), through disappointment and 
doubt we had lowered ourselves down 
into that dark condition in which David 
was found. Coming into that dark un- 
certain atmosphere which surrounded 
him, he was naturally attracted to us, 
for misery likes company, which is only 
another way of saying "like likes like," 
and when we again ascended towards 
that higher condition of certainty and 
knowledge he was by mutual attraction 
taken to the higher condition with us. 



TKN TEST CICRLES. 127 



flis father who was also in the spirit 
world, not being able to enter that con- 
dition of donbt and uncertainty, was 
wholly tmable to reach him, although 
he said he had been trying for years. 
And by this illustration we are able to 
see and understand how it is that we, 
upon the earth, are able to reach and 
help those in the dark condition of spirit 
life, that higher spirits cannot assist or 
get near. The effect of a person's belief 
while in the earth life, upon his spiritual 
condition was also beautifully illus- 
trated by the conditions surrounding 
David. A belief entertained and culti- 
vated while in the physical condition, if 
that belief be founded upon truth, it 
carries one directly to the light on the 
spirit side of life. But if that bciicf is 
an error, then it takes him to a condition 
of expectancy in the spirit, world, there 
he will watch and wait, thinking or 
making himself believe that all lie sees 
around him only proves that what he 
1 f " >Mn his cart}] existence was true, 



128 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

only their fulfillment was a little delayed. 
He will wateh and wait, instead of work, 
and his condition will grow darker and 
darker, and the suspense more terrible 
to bear as time rolls on, .and his error 
in belief continues, until he can be reached 
by some one who can enter his atmos- 
phere, and by the power of attraction, 
lead him to the light where he may work, 
and as he works the light grow r s brighter, 
as has been shown by the illustrations 
before given. Do not allow a condition 
of doubt in your circles If you doubt, 
replace that doubt with knowledge as 
quickly as possible, and you will not 
only better yotir own condition, but you 
will bring others to the light who will 
rise up and bless you. Seek after knowl- 
edge for it is life, light and happiness 
when properly used. 



CHAPTER X. 

CIRCLE NUMBER EIGHT. 



The magnetic circle. How to form it, 

and the manifestations to which 

it is adapted. 



On the evening of the 22d, the one ap- 
pointed for the holding of our eighth 
circle, we found ourselves in our accus- 
tomed places around the table. We had 
been instructed, on the evening of the 
20th, to form our circle as usual, having 
it composed of the same persons, not to 
have the room very light, and have mu- 
sic and singing as in ordinary circles. 
We were all to place our hands upon 
the table for the first thirty minutes. 
At the opening of the circle for spirit in- 



130 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

fluence,' their power and their presnce 
and influence was strongly felt by all in 
the circle. A spirit giving his name as 
Dr. Bancroft, had informed us, about a 
week before this circle, that he would 
take charge of this circle and would con- 
duct it as he thought best. Accordingly, 
at the opening of the circle, he announced 
his presence. Although I am not gifted 
with that inspiring phase of medium- 
ship called clairvoyance, yet in this par- 
ticular instance I was shown a road ; I 
appeared to be looking a little south of 
west, and from where I seemed to stand, 
the road ran up a hill, it seemed to have 
a gradual rise for quite a distance. The 
road appeared to be smooth and free 
from ravines or other roughness, but 
was on an incline plain, and trees were 
scattered on bo til sides. There appeared 
to be a light shining upon its entire 
length. Upon inquiry we learned that 
this road was one in which Dr. Ban- 
croft, the spirit in charge of the circle, 
was verv much interested in, and had 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 131 

shown it to me in proof of Lis presence 
in our circle. The physical demonstra- 
tions, during the first half of the circle, 
was very meagre, and after the first sa- 
lute, physically speaking, their presence 
was very little felt in the circle, even 
by E., who wondered what they were 
doing. 

At the end of the first thirty minutes, 
M. Z. and myself were to take our hands 
off the table and form a half circle 
around the table; F., our medium, was 
to keep his hands upon the table as us- 
ual. 

This they called the Magnetic Circle, 
it taking the form of the Horse-shoe 
Magnet. And this, they claimed, was 
the true form of a magnetic circle, and 
the one that should always be adopted 
when physical manifestations are de- 
sired. But never when a spiritual con- 
dition is required, or that higher mental 
position is being sought after, which is 
conducive to the development of the in- 
spirational condition. You cannot have 



132 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

both conditions in the same circle at the 
same time. One is of the earth, mate- 
rial; the other is of the spirit, spiritual. 
Accordingly, at the close of the first 
thirty minutes, we formed the magnetic 
circle, by placing ourselves in the form 
of a horse-shoe magnet around the ta- 
ble with F. at the table, when, as quick 
as electricity could have done it, F. was 
shaking from head to foot in the most 
vigorous manner. And while we re- 
tained the form of the horse-shoe mag- 
net around the table, F.'s physical or- 
ganism was fearfully and wonderfully 
agitated. And from a rolling motion of 
his hand upon the table in such a way 
that at each backward motion his 
thumb would strike the table with a 
loud rap. It was found at the close of 
the circle, that the skin upon the side of 
his thumb had been worn through at a 
point where it struck the table from the 
continuous and severe pounding which 
it got during the continuation of the 
form of the horse-shoe magnet. After 



t^n TEST CIRCLES. 133 

we had kept tip this form for about 
twenty minutes, F. begged of vis to put 
our hands upon the table again, Which 
we did, as this physical or material 
condition seemed to be very hard on 
him. Immediately after breaking that 
magnetic condition and placing our 
hands upon the table, F. began to 
talk under control, giving us instruc- 
tions regarding the conditions and 
their effect, which had just been dem- 
onstrated to us, and the conclusions 
to be deducted from them. The circle 
ended as it had commenced, with a 
strong tendency to the mental and spir- 
itual condition. 

We will now undertake to give a little 
explanation in regard to the conditions 
of this circle. Dr. Bancroft decided to 
illustrate the effect of a purely magnetic 
condition upon the m anifestations of the 
circle, and to do this more effectually, the 
circle was commenced under highly spir- 
itual conditions so that when the change 
to the magnetic should come the effect 



134 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

would be more striking. Under this men- 
tal or spiritual condition which predom- 
inated during the first part of the circle, 
very little, if any, of the purely physical 
demonstrations were indulged in, and 
to those who can appreciate only physi- 
cal manifestations this part of the circle, 
would have been devoid of interest. 
But it was fairW alive with that spirit- 
ual condition which elevates one above 
himself and a weakens a knowledge with- 
in him, which is the fountain of all the 
joys of life. But when the change in the 
form of the circle came, it was then the 
conditions were established, which were 
to be the principal subject for investiga- 
tion in this circle. When the magnetic 
current is felt very strong in a circle the 
conditions are not good for mental or 
purely spiritual phenomenon, but will be 
found to be the very best conditions for 
the development and the promotion of 
the physical phases of medium ship. 
The arrangement of the circle, that is, 
the position the various persons in the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 135 

circle occupy to each other, does not in 
any degree force or retard manifesta- 
tions. But it will dictate the kind oi 
phenomenon which will be produced in 
the circle, if an}' is had. If in the form- 
ation of a circle where the persons com- 
posing it are all inclined to the magnetic 
or -material condition, a mental or 
spiritual construction is arranged, very 
little manifestations of any kind will be 
had in the circle. But let them change 
to a magnetic formation, and they will 
at once have physical demonstrations if 
there are any sensitives in the circle. This 
has led to the erroneous idea that mag- 
netism was a great inducer of spirit 
manifestations, and that the more mag- 
netism there was in the circle, the 
greater would be the manifestations 
in any case. While this might be true 
of a circle whose members were inclined 
to the materialistic condition, it would 
not be true of those formed by persons 
leaning towards the mental or more 
Spiritual side of life. For the results to 



136 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

circles of this kind will be more satis- 
factory if they conform to the mental 
construction. 

I will here state that all constructions 
which do not partake of the magnetic 
form are mental, for there are bivt two 
forms, the magnetic or material and the 
mental or spiritual. The alternating of 
the male and female, or the positive and 
the negative temperaments partakes of 
the magnetic formation. And should 
never be done where the higher mental 
conditions are desired, but is almost in- 
dispensable where physical phenomenon 
is wanted, and no medium has yet been 
developed. In forming a circle for the 
mental condition, place all the positives 
together and all the negatives together, 
have them occupy opposite sides of the 
circle and have the medium sit in the 
center of the negatives; do not join 
hands, and if a table is used, have only 
those put their hands on who feel so 
inclined. It will be better in most cases 
if all do not have their hands on the 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 137 

table at the same time. It will do no 
harm to put more hands on, or take 
some off during the progress of the 
circle, as the different setters may feel 
disposed . In regard to having the room 
light or dark, be governed by the direc- 
tions given in circle No. 5, and you will 
make no mistake in this direction. 

There are two ways to form circles 
for ptiysical demonstrations. One is 
particularly adapted to circles having 
no known or developed medium; the 
other is preferable where one of the 
party is known to be a physical medium. 
Where it is not known who is the best 
medium in the compan} r about to form 
the circle, then the best form to adopt 
is to alternate the positives and nega- 
tives, or the males and females, and 
make a perfect circle by joining hands, 
or where a table is used, by all placing 
their hands upon the table. In either 
case the magnetic circle will be complete. 
All should avoid active thinking upon 
any subject. Any one sitting in a circle 



i38 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

should endeavor to keep their minds as 
inactive as possible; but what little 
thinking the persons composing the cir- 
cle are unable to avoid should be di- 
rected upon those things which are in 
harmony with the conditions in the cir- 
cle, whether they are of a material or a 
spiritual nature. These conditions are 
ver\' essential in anj^ circle, no matter 
for what purpose it has been formed, 
and success will largely depend upon 
the completeness with which this can be 
carried out. After the circle has been 
continued in this form until it has been 
demonstrated that some one in the cir- 
cle possesses one or more of the various 
phases of physical medtumship, or where 
such medium is known at the time oi 
forming the circles; then the better form 
to adapt will be that of the horse-shoe 
magnet, placing the medium between 
the opposite poles oi' the magnet., na 
shown in the formation of this, the 
eighth, test circle. Have all the persons 
having a positive temperament sit 011 



^EN TEST CIRCLES. 139 

the point of the magnet at the left hand 
of the medium, and all the negative 
temperaments should sit together upon 
the point extending to the right hand 
side of the medium. All should sit. fac- 
ing in, as in the ordinary circle. 

As has been before said, whatever 
thinking there is done in the circle should 
be upon a subject in harmony with the 
conditions. If the formation of the cir- 
cle is for a mental and spiritual condi- 
tion, let all thoughts in the circle dwell 
upon the higher and purer things and not 
allowing them to drift into the vulgar 
or material realm of thought. But if 
the form is that of the magnetic or ma- 
terial, the thoughts indulged in by those 
composing it should naturally lean, or 
be confined, to the natural things of 
this life, or the physical manifestations 
of those from the other side. For, to 
obtain the best result in any direction, 
the mental must conform to, or be in 
harmony with the physical construction 
of the circle. For the best results can 



140 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



only be reached where there is perfect 
harmony between the moral and spirit- 
ual conditions of the individuals form- 
ing the circle, its physical construction, 
the objects of the same and the thoughts 
indulged in by the company during its 
continuation. The results of a circle 
caii always be measured by the com- 
pleteness of this harmony. 



CHAPTER XI. 

CIRCLE NUMBER NINE. 



Or the children's circle. The positive^ 

reliant, conBdent condition attracts 

children, and is the best for all 

classes of the phenomena . 



We had been informed during the fore 
part of the week, that on Friday, the 
31st day of March, 1893, we were re- 
quested to hold our ninth test circle, and 
that the conditions surrounding this 
circle would be such that children from 
the spirit world would be attracted to 
it. But they did not tell us at this time 
how to produce such a condition, that 
these children would be attracted . They 
Informed us that Z would be excused 
from sitting in this circle and that was 



142 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

all we got upon this subject at this 
time. This much was given us when 
only M. Z. and myself were present. 
On the evening of the 30th, the day be- 
fore this test circle was to be held, we 
had our regular Thursday evening 
weekly circle, at which circle F. was taken 
control of and said the conditions for 
the ninth test circle was to be a positive 
one and that our positions at the table 
was to be entirely reversed. He further 
said that little Eddie, a spirit child of F. 
who had been in the spirit world for a 
number of years, would be the conduct- 
ing spirit of the next test circle, and 
that this circle would be for the children 
and would be called the childrens' circle. 
It should be remembered that F. knew 
nothing of what had been given us dur- 
ing the fore part of the week, wc always 
being very particular not to let him 
know what had been given us concern- 
ing these test circles until after the same 
had been held ; this being in accordance 
with F.'s special request; foi" it made 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 143 



him and us happ3 r and gave us unshaken 
confidence in the controls who were 
conducting these circles to see that every- 
thing which had been previously given 
to us concerning these circles, was alwa3 r s 
corroborated by F. when under control, 
showing that it was the same spirit in- 
fluence in both cases, and that they were 
not the result of chance or accident, but 
that they were being run upon definite 
and previously prepared plans, formu- 
lated and properly arranged by the deni- 
zens of the spirit world. 

On the evening of the 31st, F. M. and 
myself, (Z. having been excuse was not 
present,) were in the seance room at the 
appointed time, prepared to carry out 
our instructions. Accordingly, our po- 
sitions at the table were reversed, being 
just opposite from what they had been 
on previous occasions. M. and mvself 
assumed a positive, reliant, confident, 
mental attitude, when little Eddie, he 
who was to be the controling spirit oi 
this circle, manifested his presence by 



144 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

controling and talking through F., his 
father. He said the conditions were 
good for the children in the spirit who 
were present, and there were a host oi 
them. And he said they were filled with 
joy, that they were more than delighted 
with the attractions they found here for 
them this evening. He furthermore said 
that the positive, confident condition 
which predominated in this circle was 
the natural condition of childhood. 
Children were confident, reliant and pos- 
itively free from doubt or any feeling oi 
uncertainty. Therefore, what condition 
could have possibly been more attractive 
to us children than the atmosphere 
which surrounds this circle to-night. 
We want you to take particular notice 
of the ease with which us children are 
able to control and talk through papa 
under this harmony which exists be- 
tween us and the conditions surround- 
ing this circle. And he. expressed great 
joy in being able to come so close to his 
papa, but said the anxiety which he and 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 145 

his little sister, who was with him this 
evening, felt in trying to reach their 
mamma and convince her of their con- 
tinued existence and almost constant 
presence with her and the balance of 
the loved ones at home very much re- 
tarded their progress. A great number 
of children manifested their presence, 
some talked through F., some tipped 
the table, while a few on account of 
their inexperience or lack of knowledge 
in regard to the laws of control, had to 
announce their presence through some 
of their spirit friends who were some- 
what further advanced in the science of 
spirit communicating through the phy- 
sical organism of others to those who 
are still in the flesh. They all seemed to 
be unusually happy on account of this 
opportunity and their ability to com- 
municate with those upon the earth, 
and the only thing which seemed to mar 
the happiness of any were in those cases 
where the children had left theirparents 
ujjon the earth and were unable to reach 



146 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

them. The terrible anxiety they felt id 
trying to make their parents realize that 
they were not dead, but were anxiously 
waiting to be admitted to their accus- 
tomed places in the family circle and 
leaving there no vacant chair, was the 
only thing which appeared to mar their 
otherwise unbounded joy, or retard their 
progress. 

They seemed to impress it upon us 
that only those who had experienced it 
could comprehend their feelings in this 
direction. How often was the result of 
their labors for recognition attributed 
to indigestion and the feeling of their 
presence declared to be the effect of nerv- 
ous prostration. 

How many homes are sad and lonely 
that might be filled with life and joy if 
the little prattlers who are hourly 
knocking for admission from the spirit 
side of life were admitted and recognized , 
and their joys would be re-echoed and re- 
verberated throughout the spirit world. 

The circle ended and but one spirit 



TEN TEST CICRLES. 147 

manifested its presence who was not the 
spirit of a child. This one said he came 
because he could learn important lessons 
from these children. And the most no- 
ticeable fact connected with this circle 
was the ease with which these children 
handled the medium, which was ac- 
counted for by the harm on 3^ existing be- 
tween the positively reliant condition 
of childhood and the positively confi- 
dent condition in the circle. We learned 
from the results obtained in this circle 
that the positive condition attracts the 
children and as the children are always 
a good influence the positive condition 
must be desirable under most circum- 
stances; and we g^t it as truth that 
where there are certain kinds of mani- 
festations expected, looked for or de- 
sired, the positive confident condition 
is always the best, but if a circle is 
formed to see what they will get, or 
what phase of mediumship may be devel- 
oped in the circle and more especially 
where there is no developed medium. 



148 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

and no idea can be formed regarding th^ 
kind of demonstrations which they will 
be likely to get, then a purely negative 
condition should predominate if the 
best results are desired. The purely 
negative condition is that in active state 
of the mind, that one by practice cau as- 
sume, where the mind dwells upon noth- 
ing and no thought is generated, or at 
least not completed, there is no anxiety 
and no desires, and to a certaiu degree 
the mind becomes a blank. But in all 
cases where the circle has a developed 
medium and certain phases of the phe- 
nomenon is expected or desired, the pos- 
itive confident coudition is escential to 
good results. And if the circle has nc 
developed medium, but wishes to develop 
certain, particular phase of mediumship. 
then this positive condition is absolutely 
escential to success. This positive state 
of the mind, which is indespensible tc 
the successful production of the phe- 
nomenon, is that state of the mind thai 
dwells upon the phenomenon expected, 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 149 

not hi an anxious, hopefiil manner, but 
with positive confidence in the result. 
Peeling that you have the absolute 
knowledge of the ability of the controls 
to produce the demonstrations asked 
for. But you should avoid any anxiety 
about the manifestations. 

Your knowledge and confidence should 
be accompanied with the feeling that if 
no demonstrations of spirit presence or 
spirit power is manifested in the circle 
it will not be from a lack of ability on 
the part of those from the spirit world, 
but for reasons, visible or otherwise, 
that made it more desirable that no 
manifestations be produced at this time; 
you losing no confidence, and being none 
the less positive, having no doubts of 
the power of the spirit world to pro- 
duce the phenomena asked for if it had 
been for the best interests of all con- 
cerned. This is that childlike, positive 
condition which is unshaken by defeat 
and which is so desirable as the pre- 
dominating condition in a circle where 



150 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



any of the various phases of the phe- 
nomenon is particularly asked for ; this 
is the condition which attracts the 
children when no particular phase 
of the phenomena has been demanded, 
or older spirits called for. And any con- 
dition which attracts the children when 
they have not been especially called for 
will be found to be the very best condi- 
tion for the production of any phase of 
the phenomena that the circle ma}' ask 
for and become positive in regard to it, 
as before stated, for where the best con- 
ditions for the phenomena is produced, 
and no desire or thought is prevalent in 
the circle in regard to the spirits that 
shall come or the kind of manifestations 
that will be produced, then the children 
will always manifest their presence. 
And then the power of the circle may be 
directed with success into any of the 
channels of the phenomena, consist- 
ent with the moral atmosphere of the 
circle (as will be fully shown in my 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 151 

book entitled "Consistent Spiritualism/' 
which will follow this). 

The one older spirit which came to 
this circle to learn ol the children, as be- 
fore given, was to teach us that it 
would be well for all to learn and prac- 
tice that positive, reliant, confident sim- 
plicity manifested in childhood, when 
we would approach the spirit. 



CHAPTER Xn, 

C1RCI.K NUMBER TEN. 



Or the effect of form. It shovld repre- 
sent as near, maybe, the phenom- 
ena desired. When light 
should he turned on. 

Some days previous to the 8th day of 
April, 1893, we were instructed to hold 
upon that date the tenth test circle, or 
the last of this scries of test circles. Our 
instructors gave us the following direc- 
tions in regard to it: The same per- 
sons were to take the same positions at 
the table. F„, the medium, was to place 
both hands upon the table, the rest of 
us were to place but one of our hands 
upon the table. F. was not instructed 
in this, but was left to be guided by the 
influences. We were to place plenty of 
paper and pencil upon the table. We 



TEN TEST cmCLES. 153 

were then to assume a positive confident 
condition of mind. In other respects 
the circle was to remain the same as the 
ordinary circle 

At the opening of the circle to spirit 
influence but a few minutes elapsed be- 
fore F. began to write automatically, 
and this continued throughout the con- 
tinuation of the circle with but very lit- 
tle interruption. Message after message 
was written by various spirits, most oi 
which were congratulations extended 
to us for the perseverance we had mani- 
fested m keeping up our circles for so 
many years and counseling us to con 
tinue. 

When the circle was about half 
through, a spirit called for the light, 
which had been placed m an adjoining 
room ; as soon as the light was brought 
in, the spirit printed, in not a very art- 
istic ft'Mc, the name PAT, in large let- 
ters, and down near the lower right 
hand corner of the same sheet of paper 
printed NO f. The light was then or- 



154 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



iere.d removed to the other room, wher. 
the automatic writing continued as be- 
fore to the close of the circle. The main 
object of this circle was to illustrate the 
effect of form upon the manifestations. 
Not onl}' the mental conditions, but 
the physical form effects the mani- 
festations. The best of results can only 
be obtained where perfect harmony ex- 
ists between the spirit, the mental and 
moral condition and the physical form. 
The physical attitude taken by those 
composing this circle was clearly a po- 
sition which would be in perfect har- 
mony with the one required in automatic 
writing. One hand and one arm only 
being used in either case. Harmony is 
the law of perfection and the more it is 
displayed in mental, moral and physical 
conditions and positions in a circle, the 
more satisfactory will be the results, 
[n this circle automatic writing was the 
phenomena arranged for; and all 
things were arranged in harmony with 
that kind of manifestations. When we 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 155 

placed paper and pencil upon the tabl< 
eve prepared our minds for writing. 

Before F. left home he was impressed 
to put a pencil in his pocket. This 
seemed to prepare his mind harmoni- 
ously for the work, for he remarked be- 
fore the circle that he felt impressed to 
Fetch a pencil and he guessed they were 
going to write, although he had not 
been informed of what we were to do. 
Having the minds of all prepared and 
placed in harmony with writing, and 
then having the paper and pencil on the 
table constantly before the eyes of all in 
the circle, it had the effect to keep alive 
this expectancy and thereby keep the 
ronditions in harmony with the de- 
sired results. 

Our position at the table was otic to 
suggest automatic: writing. Au tomatic 
writing requires the uscoi but one hand 
and one arm, and this was what we 
used in the formation of this circle; 
making the physical position harmonize 
with the mental exoectations and the 



i56 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

spirits work. This is the particular 
point which this circle was intended to 
demonstrate. Harmony in every par- 
ticular is an essential condition. To re- 
ceive the best results in a circle, the phy- 
sical must be in harmony with itself, as 
well as the phenomena expected. If 
the pl^sical system is out of harmony, 
or diseased (which is the same thing), 
the circle can never attain the best con- 
dition ; or if the physical organism be in 
good health and then assumes a position 
antagonistic to phenomena desired, 
poor conditions, and consequently poor 
results will be the final outcome. To 
illustrate, suppose automatic writing to 
be the desired means of manifestations, 
and suppose the very best of mental and 
spiritual conditions have been reached, 
then those forming the circle, join hands 
and stand up around a table. What 
will be the consequence? Why, although 
the conditions may be excellent in all 
other respects the physical position in 
this case will spoil the conditions for an- 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 157 

tomatie writing; and then again, sup- 
pose the circle to be properly formed in 
other respects, but no table is procured, 
or suppose the table is in position, but 
no paper or pencil is furnished, can these 
conditions be said to be good for pro- 
ducing the phenomena of automatic 
writing? Certainly not. And we should 
always remember that the physical po- 
sition as well as its condition exerts a 
powerful effect upon the manifestations 
in a circle. 

In forming a circle to obtain a particu- 
lar kind of manifestation, we should en- 
deavor to have our minds, our positions, 
our movements and our every act indi- 
cate, or express as nearly as possible, 
that phase of the phenomena. More 
singing or a greater use of the lungs, is 
required of those forming the circle 
where the medium is expected to be 
used to talk through by the spirits, than 
where he is to be used for automatic 
writing. The lungs are used in one case 
and one hand and one arm in the other. 



• 



158 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 

If the lungs of the medium are to be 
used, a use of the lungs of the circle 
helps the conditions. If only one hand 
of the medium is to be used, then only 
one hand of those in the circle should 
be used. If a trans-condition of the 
medium is required, then both hands of 
all in the circle should be placed upon 
the table, or they should all join hands, 
and a perfect negative condition should 
be assumed, the minds of all being as in- 
active as possible, for the trans-condi- 
tion takes possession of the whole bod\ 
and annihilates the individuality and 
personality of the medium, the nearer 
those who compose the circle can come 
to this condition the better the result 
will be. 

The light was ordered in when Pat 
:ame to teach us that if spirits from the 
low, undeveloped conditions of spirit 
life was attracted, or if the conditions 
in the circle were such that they would 
be liable to draw such influences undei 
the law of like attracts like, then hVhl 



TEN TEST CIRCLES. 159 

should always be present in the seance 
room. 

All spirits from the lower undeveloped 
conditions of spirit life are not necessar- 
ily unprogressive or all bad, but those 
from the lower conditions, though pro- 
gressive, cannot resist temptation, like 
those from a higher and purer plain; 
and those who are seeking a higher life 
avoid it. 

Pat conveyed to us the information 
that he was not highly developed by 
the unartistic printing of his name, in- 
stead of writing it, and he declared his 
progressive nature and his willingness 
to learn by the NO. which he printed be- 
fore the catholic cross which he drew on 
the paper. This was as much as to say, 
" I am no catholic, although my name 
and ignorance might indicate it." Pat 
was not highly developed, but he was 
progressive. The start he had made to- 
wards a higher state of development 
made him feel his weakness to resist 
temptation, and therefore he ordered 



160 TEN TEST CIRCLES. 



the light, and he demonstrated to us in 
the strongest terms his progressive con- 
dition when he informed us that he was 
not a catholic and avoided dark seances. 
This illustrated to us the fact that dark 
seances will onty be indulged in by the 
low, unprogressive and vile, or the very 
highly developed spirits; one for dark 
and viscious purposes, the other for 
greater progress. The low and unpro- 
gressive court temptation and succumb 
to its influence, while those from the 
higher and more etherial conditions of 
spirit life are beyond the reach of its 
power or influence. The progressive, but 
still undeveloped like Pat, avoid it from 
a fear of their ability to resist it, and 
when spirits call for a dark seance you 
may be sure that they are either danger- 
ous influences, or spirits from the higher 
realms of spirit life, and before indulg- 
ing them, be sure of their identity and 
character. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

RECAPITULATION. 



A positive, commanding, know-all- 
about-it condition predominating in a 
circle will drive all spirit influences, 
whether good or bad, high or low, from 
it. And it will make no difference 
whether this positive condition is ex- 
erted to compel their attendance or ex- 
pel them from the circle. Both will have 
the same result ; either will produce an 
atmosphere into which spirit influence 
cannot enter. Therefore, a positive an- 
tagonistic or defiant commanding atti- 
tude displayed in a circle, is death to all 
spirit manifestations. 

Our business affairs should never be 
carried into the circle room, unless the 
circle has been called together by the 
spirit guides for the special purpose oi 
consultation upon questions of business 
or those pertaining particularly to the 



162 RECAPITULATION. 

affairs of earth life. Upon all other 
occasions our worldly affairs and busi- 
ness concerns, which are not especially 
connected with our spiritual advance- 
ment should be left outside the door of 
the seance room. 

The questions of money making when 
introduced into the circle room, drives 
from it the moral and spiritual effect 
which it ought to produce by setting 
up a material or unspiritual condition. 
The physical formation of a circle, or 
the positions taken by the sitters in re- 
ference to each other, will effect the kind 
of phenomena which will be produced 
and the moral tendencies of its magnet- 
ism, more than it will the power of the 
m anifestations . 

Large circles should be avoided as the 
the chances are so very small that good 
conditions will be obtained. Spirits 
that are attracted under a particular 
condition, will be expelled under an- 
other, and an entirely different class of 
spirits will come. 



RECAPITULATION. 163 

Skepticism and doubt, especially when 
accompanied by positiveness and self- 
conceit is the most powerful agent to 
repell good influences and prevent de- 
sired results of spirit influence, or spirit 
manifestations known to the science. 
And they should be excluded from the 
circle room. 

You may say a person may doubt 
and at the same time be an honest in- 
vestigator. True, but they may not be 
in a condition to investigate honestlv 
or there may be a difference betw r een an 
honest investigator and one who can 
investigate honestfy. And any one who 
is satisfied that they know all that is 
worth knowing about spirit manifesta- 
tions, had better keep away from circles 
which are formed for spirit communion; 
a due respect for the balance of the 
circle demands this. If any one who 
knows that spirit communion is a hum- 
bug, and spiritualism is a fraud, will per- 
sist in destroying the good effect of 
circles by imposing upon it with their 



164 RECAPITULATION. 

presence; then the door should be closed 
against them. We do not blame people 
lor doubting those subjects upon which 
they are ignorant, but to presume to 
understand those things which they 
doubt is manifesting a disgraceful ignor- 
ance. For doubts only enter the minds 
of people upon those subjects of which 
they are ignorant. After any one has 
expressed a doubt about the ability of 
spirits to communicate with mortals 
throught mediums in the ph^-sical form 
and then pertend to know that all so 
called spirits phenomena is a fraud, 
have virtually declared by such 
statements, their dishonesty and should 
be excluded from all circles held for the 
purpose of receiving spirit communica- 
tions until they have been reformed, or 
educated upon the subject. If one 
knows that spirits cannot communicate 
w^ith us, then they do not doubt, they 
know they do not. And further investi- 
gation, by them, upon this subject is 
foolishness and so inconsistant and un- 



RECAPITULATION. 165 



narmonious that if it be introduced in- 
to a circle it would destroy the best of 
conditions and set at naught the efforts 
of a circle to produce the phenomena of 
spiritualism and could do the actors of 
such foolishness, no good. 

The magnetic condition or that forma- 
tion of a circle which produces the best 
magnetic influences is only desirable 
when purely physical phases of medium- 
ship is looked for or desired. And if 
only a highly spiritual and morally ele- 
vating influences are desired, the circle 
should be formed with a yiew of break- 
ing up any highly magnetic condition. 
While some magnetic conditions are 
conducive to higher moral lives; they 
being a material condition, are not 
essential to higher spiritual develop- 
ment. But if for any reason they are 
indulged in great care should be taken 
in their formation, that the best moral 
influence should be procured. Circles 
formed which are noted for their confi- 
dence and the absence of all doubt, 



166 RECAPITULATION. 

where all are positive and certain of 
good results if no demands are made 
as to what spirits shall come, or what 
kind of demonstrations are desired; 
such conditions will always attract 
the children in spirit life, and the at- 
tracting of children is always an omen 
of a good moral and spiritual condition. 
And the circles may alwaj^s rejoice 
when the children come, for this will 
always be an evidence of desireable con- 
ditions. The physical formation, or 
the proper arranging of the circle should 
always be studied in connection with 
the manifestations desired, or those 
which the circle is endeavoring to pro- 
duce. The form should suggest the re- 
quired demonstrations, and this by a 
little study can be made suprisingly 
suggestive of the desired manifestations. 
Study these laws and all the powers of 
conditions. 

How to produce the desired conditions; 
how to change them; their influences 
and their effect upon the circle, upon 



RECAPITULATION. 167 

mankind, and upon spirit manifesta- 
tions. For upon a clear understand- 
ing of these depends your present and 
your future happiness. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CIRCLES— THEIR USES. 



The benefit to be derived from the hold- 
ing of them. The good they do. 



As the effect of conditions has only 
been considered in reference to circles, 
and its influence upon spirit manifesta- 
tions, it will be proper in this connec- 
tion and in conclusion. To give the 
reader a faint idea of the grand results 
to be accomplished and the vast amount 
of good to be derived, from the hold- 
ing of properly arranged and scienti- 
fically conducted circles. Through their 
influence alone can the world be re- 
formed. The silent influences which are 
generated and set at work within the 
sacred precincts of a properly conducted 
circle will prevade the atmosphere of a 



CIRCLES— THEIR USES. 169 

whole neighborhood, or community and 
their influence for good can never be 
comprehended or appreciated by those 
who compose the circle while they shall 
remain in the earth condition, for their 
influences are felt and a work of 
loye accomplished, beyond the borders 
of the spirit world. Men and women 
are influenced to do better reformation 
is inaugurated into their lives and sud- 
denly they are found to be upon a 
higher moral plane. They can give you 
no cause for their sudden change in 
their lives, they never heard of a circle, 
and yet their reform in many cases, can 
be traced directly to the influences of a 
circle being held in the neighborhood, of 
which they had no knowledge. The 
drunkard is reformed. The tobacco 
user lays his tobacco aside. The smoker 
throws his pipe away, all under the in- 
fluences of a properly conducted circle. 
There is no vice; there are no diseases; 
there is no disaster, that its heavenly 
influence cannot bridge over. 



170 CIRCLES— THEIR USES. 



Wars can be averted ; the ravages of 
pestilence and dsiease prevented, and 
the encroachments of moral depravity 
be prevented from making further in- 
roads tipon society by the influences 
which may be shed abroad by, and 
through the power of the circle. In fact 
the cause of every ill of which man is, 
or ever has been afflicted, may be learned 
and their injurious effect averted through 
the knowledge to be obtained in, and 
through a well conducted circle. A 
circle of two or three persons, who 
were devoted to the best interests of the 
community, established and properly 
conducted in every neighborhood would 
forever settle the liquor question. A 
circle in every village, and a few of 
them in each city, would exert a greater 
power for good, than all the sermons, 
or reform lectures that money can pro- 
cure. Any means of reform not carry- 
ing the seal of the spirit can display no 
authority, and will lack the power to 
accomplished its purpose. And the 



CIRCLES— THEIR USES. 171 

circle is the only means through which 
a reformatory movement can receive 
the stamp of approval from the spirit 
world. And when it shall have received 
that approval its success is assured, 
and its power for good wall be unre- 
strained. 

In all laudable undertakings, invoke 
the assistance of the spirit world, and 
the only way to properly and effectually 
do this is through the circle. And the 
power for good inherent in the circle 
does not end here, neither is its mission- 
ary work confined to mortals, or those 
upon the earth plane. But it reaches 
out and down into the lower depths of 
spiritual degradation found in the spirit 
world, and its influence has, and will 
continue to place the feet of many of 
those who are in the dark abodes of 
spirit life, upon the upward path, facing 
them to the light which shall lead them 
to a higher and purer life. And thou- 
sands upon thousands, who are in utter 
darkness, and a most pitiable condition, 



172 CIRCLES— THEIR USES. 

just over the borders of spirit life, can 
only be reached through the power of 
the circle, they being beyond the reach 
of the higher conditions of the spirit 
world. And they must be reclaimed 
through the influences exerted in their 
behalf arising from well formed and 
scientifically conducted circles, and in 
this respect I desire that you make no 
mistake. For ill formed and bad ly man- 
aged circles, lower the morals, increase 
the disease and corrupt every com- 
munity in which they are held. And 
their bad influence does not stop here, 
for they help to forge the chains, which 
binds the fallen spirits in the dungeons 
of spirit life, instead of shedding the 
light, which would lead them out to a 
higher and better life, as scientifically 
managed circles would do. 

Spiritulists: You who have taken the 
great work of reformation in hand, 
study these laws, and practically appry 
them, and you will be supprised at how 
soon the earthly existance and the spirit 



CIRCLES — THEIR USES. 173 

life shall be so blended together, that 
man shall commence his spiritual exi st- 
ance while yet in the physical form. 
Love will become the law, and under its 
ministration, crime will be reduced, 
good works increased, joy will be the 
rule, an sorrow an exception. 

riNis. 






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